Operation Ouch Live on Stage – Educational, entertaining and thoroughly engaging for all the family.
It’s no mean feat, keeping a theatre full of kids (ranging in age from toddlers through to teens) and their parents engaged, entertained and on the edge of their seat for over an hour while talking about science, medicine and bodily functions.
For Operation Ouch’s Dr Chris and Dr Xand, it seems to come naturally. Kicking off their latest Australian tour in Brisbane on Friday night (3 January) they offered the perfect blend of intelligence, education and laugh-out-loud silliness.
The identical twins’ presentation styles are as distinctive as their colour-coded scrubs. Dr Chris, dressed in blue, is the serious one – full of useful information and scientific knowledge that he distils down into easy-to-understand concepts. The green-clad Dr Xand is the clown – with his trademark humour, jokes and silliness that are the perfect foil to the educational content. The kids (and parents) had so much fun they barely noticed they were learning.
In the days leading up to the show, we wondered how the knowledge-packed TV program (full of graphics and animated explanations) would translate into a live stage show. But the concepts are brought to life using a clever combination of on stage chat, multimedia and live action using scopes, probes and other props.
In the words of my 9 year old, “it’s even better than the TV show because it’s 3D. You can see that it’s real and that they really know what they’re talking about.”
The show is somewhat scripted, partly improvised and includes information the kids (and parents) can use in their daily lives. Of course, there were also enough poo and snot jokes to keep the giggles rolling, and a Q&A segment where the doctors field questions from the audience.
And the verdict from our group? The 8 year old gave it an eleven out of ten; the 9 year old loved every second (and is even more certain that he wants to be a scientist) and the almost 12 year old was sad that it was over, and wanted to go again.
Sometimes, as parents, we find ourselves gritting out teeth through our kids’ favourite “entertainment” – movies, concerts and shows that, given the choice, we would rather avoid.
I’m happy to report that the Operation Ouch Live Show is not only enjoyable for the kids, but has plenty of humour and interesting facts for parents as well (plus the occasional joke that sails right over the heads of the younger members of the audience).
The tour continues around Australia throughout January, click below to find tickets at a venue near you!
