Esplanade Presents PLAYtime! - An Interactive Theatre Series Designed for Children Aged 3-6

Welcome to a world where stories come to life! 

Presented by Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, PLAYtime! is an interactive theatre series designed to spark curiosity, inspire wonder, and warm the hearts of your youngest theatre-goers.

Each production explores the world through a child's eyes, addressing their questions and concerns while opening the door to creativity and meaningful conversations through the magic of performing arts.

This 2026 season celebrates the joy of play and imagination, bringing children and their grown-ups together through 3 enchanting stories that inspire wonder and empathy:

• BURP (30 Jan-15 Feb)
• Together (2-17 May)
• The Amazing Sarong (14-30 Aug)

All three PLAYtime! productions are eligible for the SG Culture Pass.

Every performance is a Relaxed Performance, providing a welcoming and comfortable environment for audience members on the autism spectrum or those with sensory sensitivities. Special modifications have been incorporated to create a relaxed atmosphere throughout the performance.

An assistive listening system is also available at the venue for those who need it. Hearing aid users with a Telecoil-enabled programme can easily access this audio support.

BURP (30 Jan-15 Feb 2026)

The PLAYtime! season kicks off with BURP, a story about a man who finds beauty in the sounds most people ignore. He spends his days collecting sounds in special jars, using them as keys to unlock memories and feelings. 

When played on his Incredible Sound Machine, these sounds transport him back to extraordinary moments in time.

But one day, everything changes when a mighty vibration rumbles through his body. A giant, mischievous burp is about to escape, and the Sound Collector is determined to catch it. 

You’re invited to join this high-energy game of chase. Will the man be quick enough to trap Burp, or will it prove too slippery to catch?

‍What Children Will Experience

BURP invites young audiences and adults alike to listen closely to the sounds that surround them and discover how these sounds tell stories. 

Through this playful exploration, your children will discover how to recognize and name their emotions, and learn to understand what others might be feeling too - all wrapped up in 45 minutes of pure fun!

First presented in August 2024, this much-loved production is back by popular demand with a fresh ensemble cast and reimagined staging.

Get tickets to BURP

Together (2-17 May)

Gor Gor and Mei Mei are stuck indoors with nothing but time and each other. Mummy's busy with back-to-back video calls, the iPad is nowhere to be found, and the walls of their HDB flat seem to be closing in. Between squabbles and complaints, boredom threatens to take over completely.

Then imagination kicks in and something extraordinary happens. Their ordinary home transforms into a portal to unexpected places filled with unusual characters and spontaneous adventures. 

What starts as another day of sibling rivalry slowly becomes something else entirely, a chance to discover what happens when two very different kids actually try to get along.

‍A Playful Lesson in Connection

Together tackles the universal challenge of sibling relationships with warmth and honesty. Through Gor Gor and Mei Mei's adventures, Together explores how children resolve conflicts and find common ground.

The show weaves important skills like problem-solving, active listening, and empathy into its narrative, showing how play helps kids understand each other and work through disagreements.

Originally presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in August 2022 as part of PLAYtime!, Together continues to resonate with young audiences, celebrating the power of imagination and proving that even when things don’t go according to plan, there’s always a way to turn a dull afternoon into a shared adventure!

Get tickets to Together

The Amazing Sarong (14-30 Aug)

A sarong might look like just another piece of fabric, but Nora and Adi are about to find out otherwise. When their mother passes them her sarong, the siblings unlock a world of possibilities that stretches far beyond what anyone might expect from a simple cloth.

In their hands, the sarong becomes whatever the moment calls for, inviting audiences to discover the surprising potential within everyday objects.

Each transformation brings new adventures, unexpected encounters, and plenty of laughter along the way. The question isn't what the sarong can become, but rather what Nora and Adi will dream up next.

This stage adaptation brings Quek Hong Shin's beloved book, published by Epigram Books, to life through performance. The show invites young audiences and their families to experience the siblings' journey as they rediscover the power of imagination and the joy of play.

Building Empathy and Connection

Through Nora and Adi's playful discoveries, the performance highlights how imagination can turn the ordinary into something remarkable. As the siblings navigate their adventures together, children watching can see how cooperation, creativity, and attention to each other's ideas make play even more rewarding.

The Amazing Sarong celebrates the power of looking at familiar things with fresh eyes. As Nora and Adi's adventures unfold, children learn to recognize how paying attention to others - their feelings, their ideas, their reactions, enriches shared experiences and strengthens relationships.

The performance offers families a chance to enjoy a story about sibling connection, creative thinking, and finding wonder in the things we might otherwise overlook. It's a reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary adventures begin with the simplest starting points.

Get tickets to The Amazing Sarong