Festival event a fairy tale for pupils

WILD THINGS: Year 1 pupils from St Teresa's School in Featherston capture a scene from Where The Wild Things Are, as part of their latest school production Booktown Boogies Down. PHOTO/LEANNE FLACK

Booktown - an event at the upcoming Kokomai Creative Festival event in Featherston - has helped turn the page for the latest production at St Teresa's School in the town.

School office manager Leanne Flack said pupils performing in their production, Booktown Boogies Down, staged a matinee on Wednesday and evening show on Thursday and "wowed their audiences with great dancing, singing and enthusiasm".

She said the theme of the show was based on the festival event Booktown with the production arranged by Carrie Watson and working "around the concept of the local Booktown Mayor wanting to reward his people by holding a town dance".

Invitations to the dance are sent through the Town Crier to various book groups who all had a "practice dance" capped by a grand joint ball as the finale, with performers dancing to I'm a Believer with characters from the animated film Shrek and Donkey taking centre stage.

Various scenes were based around loved children's books including Where the Wild Things Are, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Geronimo Stilton and Kapai the Kiwi, Mrs Flack said.

"The hard work by students and staff along with great costumes provided by parents resulted in a fantastic entertaining event."

The Booktown event in Featherston will take place on Friday, October 16; Saturday October 17; and Sunday, October 18 as part of the festival.

According to the festival website, a Booktown is a small rural town, close to major cities, in which there were second-hand or antiquarian bookshops. The International Organisation of Booktowns binds the towns together.

Featherston was "in the process of becoming a fledgling member" of Booktown, which as a concept began in Wales in 1961.

The three-day Booktown event in Featherston will include four shows at the Senior Citizens Hall from Trick of the Light Theatre called The Bookbinder; a fish 'n' chip supper at Tarureka Estate with Booktown organisers; A history of conflict - the Kiwi story at the Anzac Hall; Rare & Antique Book Roadshow at the same venue; Literary Treasure Trails throughout the town; authors, poets and playwrights Kate De Goldi, Owen Marshall, and Jane Tolerton at the Senior Citizens' Club or the Featherston library.