These school holidays you can experience everyone’s favourite children’s television program live, when the Play School live show ‘Let’s Play Together’ arrives in Brisbane as part of the Queensland leg of their national tour.
‘Let’s Play Together’ will be hosted by Play School presenters Emma Parker and Matt Backer, with the show having fun and games with friends at its heart.
Set in the Play School games room, Emma and Matt and the helpful toys discover different coloured boxes are filled with surprises, and young fans will be happy to see perennial favourites Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima and Humpty live on stage. The show will take children across the sea, up in the sky and over the moon, and is full of new discoveries, delightful games to play, songs to sing and stories to enjoy.
The Brisbane leg is a homecoming of sorts for Matt Backer, having grown up on the south side of the city, attending Mayfield State School and Iona College.
Originally starting out as a journalist, Matt then entered the world of theatre, studying at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts) and it was here that the idea of working on Play School blossomed.
“At NIDA we actually did a Play School unit and Benita (Collings) taught us, so we all prayed we’d end up on it one day”, Matt said.
“I’ve been a Play School presenter since late 2017, and I’ve really enjoyed being as silly as I can be on screen and stage for little and big kids alike.
“When we grow up and get hit with the rush and stresses of everyday life, I think we adults forget how playful and silly we once were as children.”
“So it’s a real gift to be an adult in his thirties whose job is to play and be silly on TV. I sometimes have to stop, mid silliness, and exclaim, ‘this is my job!”
After a year that’s seen so much disruption in the arts and entertainment industries, Matt says that he’s really looking forward to being back on stage in front of his hometown audience.
“There’ll be lots of play, silliness, songs, surprises and laughs and we can’t wait to visit Brisbane!
“Luckily Play School kept shooting throughout the past 14 months, which made me even more grateful for this wonderful gig.
“But it was (and still is) a really hard time for all actors and creatives. Thankfully I still do a bit of writing here and there and tried to use the “time off” to do some screenwriting for TV and film ideas I’ve had over the years and also made sure I looked after myself as much as I could by staying healthy, going to the gym, getting off my phone and reading more books.”
‘Let’s Play Together’ Dates & Venues
- Saturday 26 June: Moreton Bay College, 450 Wondall Rd, Manly West
- Sunday 27th & Monday 28th June: Kedron Wavell Services Club, Chermside
- Tuesday 29th June: The Gap State High School, 1020 Waterworks rd, The Gap
- Thursday 1st July: Unidus Community Centre, Willawong
- Saturday 3rd July: The Hanrahan Theatre- Villanova College, 24 Sixth Ave, Coorparoo
- Sunday 4th July: Stuartholme School – Joigny Theatre, Toowong
- Tuesday 6th July: Southport RSL, Southport
There are multiple sessions on offer at each venue – click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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