ONLINE PROGRAM
KENSUKE'S KINGDOM
by MICHAEL MORPURGO
adapted by STUART PATERSON
Kensuke's Kingdom is presented through a special arrangement with Berlin Associates. All authorized performance materials are supplied by www.berlinassociates.com. By permission of Alan Brodie Representation Ltd; www.alanbrodie.com
​SBT Production photography by Tim Nguyen.
The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the Internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under copyright law.
Feb 7th to Mar 8, 2025
Thursdays to Saturdays 7pm
Saturdays & Sundays 2pm
rated G | 6+
running time:
Two-act musical, approx. 120
min with a 15 min. intermission
SHOW SUMMARY
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The story of a young boy’s fantastic adventure after being washed up on a Pacific island – adapted for the stage by acclaimed dramatist Stuart Paterson from the best-selling novel by Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo.
Michael embarks on a round-the-world sailing voyage with his parents, only for their dream to become a nightmare when Michael falls overboard. Washed up on an island in the Pacific populated with orang-utans, Michael soon makes a startling discovery: the island is already home to one extraordinary man, and this is Kensuke’s Kingdom.
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RATING: G | 6+
Read more about show ratings and recommendations >
Video courtesy of The Music Man on Broadway, 2022, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, directed by Jerry Zaks.
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Production Inclusion Statics
51.61% FEMALE/NON-BINARY
REPRESENTATION
25.81% MARGINALIZED REPRESENTATION
3.23% BIPOC
REPRESENTATION
22.58% LGBTQIA2S+
REPRESENTATION
53.85% ON STAGE
50.00% OFFSTAGE
38.46% ON STAGE
16.67% OFFSTAGE
7.69% ON STAGE
0.00% OFFSTAGE
30.77% ON STAGE
16.67% OFFSTAGE
ABOUT THE CREATOR
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MICHAEL MORPURGO
Micheal Morpurgo is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as War Horse (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelling", for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival, for characters' relationships with nature, and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or the trenches of the First World War. Morpurgo was the third Children's Laureate, from 2003 to 2005, and is President of BookTrust, a children's reading charity. Morpurgo's writing career was inspired by Ted Hughes' Poetry in the Making, Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose and Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.Hughes and another poet, Seán Rafferty, were influential in his career, with Hughes becoming a friend, mentor and neighbour.
STUART PATERSON
Stuart Paterson has written King Of The Fields for the Traverse Theatre, and new versions of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orcherd; Uncle Vanya; The Seagull and Three Sisters. For The Scottish Youth Theatre he has written In Traction (later televised by BBC) and adapted Zola’s Germinal. He has also adapted Zola’s THÉRÈSE AQUIN for Communicado Theatre Company, which was later staged at Newcastle Playhouse who also staged his adaptation of William Trevor’s The Ballroom Of Romance. His work for Tag Theatre Company includes an adaptation of Beowulf and James Hogg’s The Private Memoirs and Confessions Of A Justified Sinner. He has recently completed a version of Strindberg’s comedy Comrades and new plays Moon Sreet and Cars And Boys, as well as adaptations of Chekhov’s stories The Black Mook and The Letter.
FROM THE
DIRECTOR & ARTISTIC PRODUCER
'The Music Man,' often celebrated as an American classic, paints a vivid picture of life in a small town and invites us to witness the transformative journey of its characters. Composed by Meredith Willson, this timeless tale highlights extraordinary individuals who profoundly impact their community. The overarching theme aligns seamlessly with our season’s ethos “be Extraordinary” – celebrating ordinary people with extraordinary spirits.
In an era of divisiveness and uncertainty, it is essential to revisit narratives like ‘The Music Man.’ Its central character, Harold Hill, epitomizes the concept of an ‘extraordinary person.’ He begins as a dubious con-man selling dreams in River City but evolves significantly throughout his journey. The transformation he undergoes showcases that even flawed individuals have a tremendous capacity for change and growth.
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Our production is blessed by having an incredible cast comprising dedicated volunteers who breathed life into these characters. Watching each one learn, interpret their roles afresh, and adapt to changes whilst maintaining the essence of their characters has been nothing short of rewarding. Despite most of them being volunteers without any professional obligations towards performing arts, they demonstrated great perseverance and patience during rehearsals which are qualities hard to find even amongst many professionals.
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Each moment spent guiding them was filled with fulfillment; witnessing raw talents blossom into refined performers was indeed gratifying. Their passion for theatre transcended beyond individual performances; it infused vibrancy into every scene making 'The Music Man' not just another musical performance but rather a rich tapestry woven from dedication and hard work.
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Working on this show has reaffirmed my belief that ordinary people possess immense potential—they only require opportunities for expression. Our volunteers came from diverse backgrounds yet were united under one common purpose—to create a remarkable rendition of The Music Man—and they did so beautifully! This process bore testament not only to their stunning talent but also highlighted their capacity for growth, marking them truly as ‘extraordinary.’
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I am confident that you'll enjoy watching these incredible actors depict this heart-warming story just as much I enjoyed directing it—a tale celebrating human spirit painted across vibrant sets brought alive by extraordinarily dedicated souls!
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My heartfelt gratitude goes out once again towards all those involved in bringing this grand performance onto stage—the cast members who threw themselves into every rehearsal session wholeheartedly, the crew who never stop creating on and off the stage, the entire team for bringing this show to life!
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Thank you for joining us today—I hope you leave feeling inspired by these everyday heroes we call our cast members—their dedication embodying everything we envisage while exploring themes around extraordinary people.
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JP Thibodeau
Director
THE COMPANY
THE CAST
Kensuke Mark Kamachi
Michaya Grace Lu
Young Micheal Parker Painchaud
Adult Micheal Jayden Durksen
Father/ Tamodachi Jamie Wills- Erickson
Mother/ Orangutan Sarah Nearing
Grandmother Diana-Marie Stolz
Stella Artois Richelle Ho
Stella Artois Ciorstaidh Reid
Ensemble Jaxon Williamson-Dupuis
Ensemble Joey Gruszecki
Ensemble Viktoria Lukowski
Ensemble Sawyer Crawford-Clarke
THE CREW
Director Steven Conde
Stage Manager Serena Lemire
Asst. Stage Manager Jayden Durksen
Asst. Stage Manager Joey Gruszecki
Asst. Stage Manager Grace Lu
Costume Designer Darcie Howe
Wardrobe Asst.
Makeup Designer Melody Kielek
Hair Designer Cat Bentley
Property Master
Set Designer Madeline Blondal
Set Asst. DeNeane Osmond
Set Builder Josh Bailey
Set Support Nathan Snyders-Blok
Lighting Designer Quinlan Brown
Lighting Operator Jo Ackerman
Sound Design & Programming
Sound Operator Paul Davies
Sound Operator Aretha Smith
Sound Operator Rahim Manji
Fight Director Rico Pfieffer
Intimacy Director Anastasia St.Amand
Artistic Producer JP Thibodeau
Artistic Associate Nickolas Bishop
Marketing Director & Graphic Design Jennifer Merio
Marketing Coordinator Mackenzie Devlin
Office Admin & Accounting Eva Stieber
Show Photography Tim Nguyen
MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
SUPPORTERS, DONORS & CONTRIBUTORS
GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS
PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORTERS
MEDIA SUPPORTERS
DONORS, SUPPORTERS & CONTRIBUTORS
Occasional Notes Productions
Calgary Arts Development
Paul Davies
Teresa O’Regan
Gregory Smith
Clarice Siebens
Lane Olafson
Hesson Persaud
Corinne Spence
Janine Labossiere
Frank Fowler
The Wawanesa Mutual Life Insurance Co.
M.E.G Energy/Kenneth Wilson
Maria Shaw
Blue Spruce Investments Ltd.
Ann Farebrother
Maureen Morris
Ella Quinn
Kirk Schmidt
Melissa Smith
THANK YOU TO...
THANK YOU TO...
Elayne Fischer
Lydia Marshall-Browne
Morpheus Theatre
Margaret Harper
Workshop Theatre
Jacquie Brennan
And thank you to ALL of our extraordinary volunteers - your time and efforts help make the magic happen!