Betsy Balloon and the Very Great Terrible Flood

Welcome to the island of Helium where Betsy lives with her balloon-factory-owning family. They’re cheerful, a bit money-mad and life is on the up.

But when the tide turns against balloons, their world pops.  Betsy must start a new life in a faraway city with her eccentric uncle, Hercules Snark, an inventor of mostly half-finished things.

Unfortunately, Snark has problems of his own. In his city, it never stops raining. The streets are flooding. And things, quite literally, are starting to sink.

Betsy Balloon is a rambunctious modern fable with original music and illustration based on a story by Bill Manhire.
 

CREATIVE TEAM:

Aimée Sullivan: Betsy Balloon
Jackson Burling: Hercules Snark
Nigel Collins: Narrator
Joel Baxendale: Director
Bill Manhire: Original Story and Lyrics
Gavin McGibbon: Stageplay
Moniker: Music 
Andrew Laking: Producer
Stephen Templer: Illustrations
Image by Rebecca McMillan Photography

This show is just the beginning. There’s plenty more to discover for curious young minds and their caregivers, with lots of FREE activities and experiences to enjoy throughout the festival. Explore them here.

Co-commissioned by Auckland Live and Creative New Zealand’s Festival Commissioning and Presentation Fund managed by PANNZ.