Kids and Company, promoters of children’s entertainment in the Rainy River District, has announced the lineup for their 2024-25 season.
“This season is Kids and Company’s 30th anniversary, so we are excited to make all the shows free for everybody in the community, we’re not charging any admission price this year,” said board member Nadine Cousineau.
“We are also going to have gifts to give away for the kids at each show, which we are also excited about.”
The first show scheduled for Monday, October 28, will feature magician Ryan Price in the gymnasium at St. Mary School.
“He’s coming to us from Winnipeg and we are also celebrating Halloween at this magic show, so we’re encouraging everybody to wear their costumes,” Cousineau said.
The second show will be local theatre company Row i’s production of A Charlie Brown Christmas at Knox United Church on Thursday, November 28.
The show put on by Row i Theatre will feature young performers so children in the audience may actually know some of the actors.
“We thought it would be really cool to partner with somebody local,” Cousineau said.
“Then the kids that go to the show might see people they recognize in the theatre and it might give them the thought that maybe they’d want to participate too. It’s about exposing them to this kind of thing and helping foster an appreciation for that.”
On Monday, February 24, shows shift to the Townshend Theatre for a performance by Circus Incognitus.
According to his website: “In Circus Incognitus, virtuoso clown Jamie Adkins is the vulnerable everyman. An expert at comedy born of desperation, Jamie’s performance is humble and unguarded. Adkins deftly escorts the audience along his poetic journey with sidesplitting wit.”
On Wednesday, April 30, the Townshend will play host to Kattam and His Tam-Tams which features Québécois-Moroccan percussionist Kattam.
“To the sound of the n’goni, balafon, djembe, naffar, derbouka and dhol, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover Africa, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance,” says Kattam’s website.
“From African rap and desert dance to trance sufi rhythm and Bollywood dance. Accompanied by his monkey, Takoum, Kattam never fails to enrol his audience! An incredible multicultural adventure.”
All of the shows are free and scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. In their Facebook post, Kids and Company says that rather than having the usual six shows that they have had in past seasons, they went for quality over quantity while also making the shows free.
“Last season, we had six shows. We had a lot of good opportunities to bring quality shows in so we really jumped on it this year,” Cousineau said.
“We’re being a little more modest, I guess, but we think they’re going to be really good shows, and we think the community will really like them.”
For more information you can check out Kids and Company’s Facebook page or website at kidsandco.ca.
