This year, for the first time, we took the kids to Shaw Festival. We have been before as a couple (and loved it) but hadn’t taken the kids yet. With some good luck, I entered a giveaway on a Niagara blog and won tickets not only to the kid-friendly performance of Wilde Tales, but also, tickets for the kids to do a pre-show workshop with the actors and participate in the show.
We selected a date that worked well with our summer travels and enjoyed, as we always do, time in the Niagara region.
The workshop for the kids was a drop off, so for nearly an hour before the show, Andy and I were alone in Niagara on the Lake for the first time in years. It was lovely to walk around and shop and taste wine as a pair again. Meanwhile, the kids were learning how to participate in the upcoming show.
We met the kids after the workshop to take our seats. The workshop participants sat along the edge of the stage for their roles (my eldest decided to join us in our seats, while his sister was fully committed.)
The show itself was amazing. Based on Oscar Wilde stories, Wilde Tales integrated various mini stories throughout the show. We were so impressed with everything about it (Andy still talks about how amazing it was). Our daughter participated and was beaming to meet and greet with the actors after. It was a mix of laughter and emotion and it really stayed with us.
We love live theatre, I know I’ve written that before, but there is something special for all of us to be watching a story unfold before our eyes.
While there are only a few Shaw performances left this year, taking the kids to one of their family friendly features in the future is something I highly recommend. I can’t wait to see what the line up next year will look like!
