Name: The Childhood of the World
Start: 2026-02-20
End: 2026-03-15
Location: Adelaide Botanic Garden

When

20 Feb - 22 Feb

28 Feb - 01 Mar

14 Mar - 15 Mar

Where

Adelaide Botanic Garden

Access

Venue & access info here

Tickets

Adult

$55

Festival Friends

$52

Concession*

$30

Under 30**

$35

Full-time student^

$30

Child

$30

Family of 4

$166

Transaction fees apply
* Pensioner, Health Care Card holder, MEAA/Actors’ Equity member. NOTE: Commonwealth Senior Health and Seniors Cards are ineligible for concession
** Limited capacity, ID required
^ ID required

Times

Fri 20 Feb 6:15pm
Sat 21 Feb 12:45pm
Sun 22 Feb 12:45pm
Sat 28 Feb 12:45pm
Sun 01 Mar 12:45pm
Sat 14 Mar 12:45pm
Sun 15 Mar 12:45pm

Duration

1hr, no interval

Warnings

Utilises theatrical smoke and haze, loud sound, laser lights and strong scents.

Note

This production has been created for audiences aged 8+ and contains images, sounds and characters that may be frightening to younger children.
Latecomers will not be admitted.

By Jennifer Mills / Inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel

Jennifer Mills’ The Childhood of the World is set in a time of famine. Siblings Ré and Crann are living with their father on a struggling farm in a small village. Crann is responsible and practical. Ré is ambitious and curious; she dreams of studying the stars.

The villagers are called to a ‘roll call’ in the square. Two children are selected by lottery and told they will be apprenticed in the town. Crann is chosen and Ré bravely volunteers. But as they are carted away, they suspect a darker destiny. Their escape finds them lost in a forest that holds both danger and possibility. Only by learning to read the wisdom found in their natural surroundings will they survive a perilous journey home.

The Childhood of the World is the first piece in the triptych A Concise Compendium of Wonder.

Allow internationally renowned theatre company Slingsby to lead you, by flickering candlelight, deep into the past - where you are immersed in cinematic sound design, lush original music, and spectacular lighting that transport you to a mysterious time when the forest was our home.

Age recommendation: This production has been created for audiences aged 8+ and contains images, sounds, and characters that may be frightening to younger children.

“Thought-provoking storytelling at its best”

Australian Stage

Writer Jennifer Mills
Director Andy Packer
Devisor/Composer Quincy Grant
Set & Costume Design Ailsa Paterson
Environment Design Wendy Todd
Lighting Design Chris Petridis
Movement Collaborator Lina Limosani
Production Manager David McLean
Technical Manager/Operator Darian Tregenza
Stage Manager Jess Wolfendale
Sound Engineer Patrick Pages-Oliver
Venue & Site Technician Alex Hatchard

Original recorded music:
The Horizon Orchestra
Lute Tim Kersten
Keyboard Michael Ierace
Harp Joyce Kwok
Mandolin Dylan Woolcock
Guitar & Dulcimer Quincy Grant
Percussion Sami Butler
Violin Belinda Gehlert
Cello David Moran
Bass Harley Gray
Recorder Brendan O’Donnell
Vocals Clara Gillam Grant, Hannah Gray

Cast / Co-creators
Kate Cheel
Nathan O'Keefe
Ren Williams
Development Collaborator
Elizabeth Hay

Consultants
Troppo Architects
XFrame
Dr. Angelique Edmonds (UniSA)
Todd Houstein (Sustainable Living Tasmania)

Slingsby
CEO & Artistic Director Andy Packer
Executive Director Rebecca Pearce
Community Enrichment Manager Georgia Stanley
Finance & Admin Officer Karen Vance
Marketing Manager Rod Schultz

Image Wood block print by Lorelei Medcalf

Supported by Slingsby’s Commissioning Circle, CreateSA, Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, and Novatech Creative Event Technology.

Slingsby is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts funding and advisory body.

Triptych Package

Three new Australian stories, inspired by classic fairytales, intertwine to form an unforgettable triptych. Experience each story individually or immerse yourself in an epic journey through the complete compendium – all bound in one bespoke wooden building that continually evolves to reveal imaginative new worlds.

Recommended triptych order: The Childhood of the World / The Giant’s Garden / The Tree of Light