What’s not to like? Boats, storytelling and live music – Scottish Opera is back with an all-new children’s production this autumn: Puffy MacPuffer & the Crabbit Canals is a fun, engaging show following the adventures of Puffy, the bold, coal guzzling steam boat, as he sails with cargo through canals across Scotland.
And – on Saturday 25th October at the Crinan Hotel on the Crinan Canal Basin on the far from Crabbit Crinan Canal, Puffy MacPuffer comes in to berth – at 11am and 3pm.
Aimed at children aged 5 – 8, this interactive musical production features a series of specially commissioned illustrations, a storyteller, a singer and two musicians.
Scottish Opera’s Director of Outreach & Education, Jane Davidson, says: ‘Puffy MacPuffer & the Crabbit Canals is an exciting production which really engages with children through song and music. We wanted to make a show that entertains and informs youngsters about the key role that the canals played in the social and economic life of Scotland’s past; and that highlights the many and varied activities on offer for families visiting the canals in the present day.
‘Our partnership with Scottish Canals allows us to start this run of performances at the Falkirk Wheel – the world’s only rotating boat lift of its kind – so we are really excited to get started.’
Richard Millar, Director of Heritage, Enterprise & Sustainability at Scottish Canals, says: ‘We’re delighted to be working with Scottish Opera on this exciting project. Scotland’s canals were once the thoroughfares that stoked the fires of the Industrial Revolution, and hundreds of Clyde Puffer boats just like Puffy once plied their trade on the waterways.
‘From the majesty of the Caledonian to the rugged beauty of the Forth & Clyde, each of Scotland’s canals has their own charm and over 200-years-worth of tales to tell. Joining Puffy on his travels along the nation’s 137 miles of canals, kids can step back into history to discover and engage with the stories, legends and myths of the waterways. We’d encourage everyone to set sail and join him on the canal adventure of a lifetime.’
And as for the Crinan Hotel appearances… There is no better place for this show to cement its puffer credentials.
Yards up the road, at the Crinan Boat Yard is Auld Reekie, the Vic 27 puffer that was the original for Neil Munro’s ‘Vital Spark’, skippered by the now legendary Para Handy, rescued and for sale.
Even closer, across the canal basin from the hotel, is the Vic 32 Puffer, still working – with tourist cargos on special excursions and charters in Argyll waters – and a salivatory cookbook showcasing the delights in store for her charter guests.
The cast for the show are:
- Singer: Chris Nairne
- Actor: Steven Ritchie
- Flautist: Andrea Kuypers
- Accordionist: Lizzie Stirrat
- Visual Artists: Iain Piercy
The creative team are:
- Director: Jane Davidson
- Composer: Marion Christie
