
A Bee Story
It's a sticky situation... A Bee Story is a uniquely Australian physical theatre show for children and families incorporating a kaleidoscope of circus, acrobatics, dance, and live music. It tells the story of Queen Bee and Worker Bee who must work together to rebuild their hive after being destroyed by a bushfire. But things never quite go to plan… Join the bees on their buzzy adventures and be enchanted by their pollen-collecting skills, honey-making abilities, and super-bee strength. A Bee Story has themes of environmentalism, sustainability, and community spirit, and was directed by performer Robbie Curtis (Circa, Cirque du Soleil, Circus Oz, Australian Ballet), and co-created with musician and performer Lizzie McRae. "Crazy funny & funny Crazy" Audience Member, The Old Museum (aged 10) "The BEST kids show I have ever seen" Audience Member, Wyong Arthouse (parent) ★★★★★ Get Your Coats On UK, 2022 ★★★★★ One4 Review UK, 2023 ★★★★ Edinburgh Festival Kids
A Bee Story is a slapstick circus-comedy performance with an environmental undertone. After a devastating bushfire, Queen Bee and Worker Bee go through a journey of finding a new flower to build their hive home.
The audience is taken through various skits involving many circus classics. The two bees take their audience through physical comedy and leave you wondering how they did certain tricks.
There is juggling, unicycles, skip ropes, acrobats, and very unique flute playing.
While each section had different levels of intensity (from dramatic unicycling with knives to quieter musical sections), it was easy to explain the story to my younger child. The environmental aspect of the story wasn’t overdone, and it was easy to say “The bees need to find a new home because there was a fire” or "The bees are sad because there was a fire" something child-friendly to that effect.
With a lot of bright lights and music sections in the skit, I noticed some sections were sensory overload for my younger child, but it was easy to get them excited about the next skit. As an adult watching this show, I enjoyed the physical comedy with the two bee characters. Simple comedy is sometimes the best approach for kids.
While audience engagement was consistent, energetic skits received more applause than quieter parts. The two bees being equally entertaining made this show fun. The two performers were complementary with their set of circus skills. Overall, there were little details during the performance which made A Bee Story memorable. Queen Bee and Worker Bee had adorable costumes and the choice in music was very child-friendly (and even educational in some parts).
The “sad, blue water skit” after the bushfire was stark compared to the rest of the show (which was cheerful and positive). I think the children in the audience were able to understand the consequences of fire and how it made the bees sad. The audience will be very satisfied with their journey and cheer on the bees for their happy ending.