5 Reasons Brisbane Families Should Be Excited for The Paige Turner Bookshop
There are less than two weeks to go until the doors of The Paige Turner Bookshop officially open at Enoggera Performing Arts Centre.
Our brand new professional youth production brings an original Brisbane story to the stage, following six young people who enter a mysterious neighbourhood bookshop looking for something to read. Waiting behind the counter is Miss Paige, a charming bookseller who seems to know exactly which book each visitor needs.
With four performances from 17 to 24 October, now is the perfect time to organise a family trip to the theatre. Book your tickets today and discover what is waiting inside The Paige Turner Bookshop.
1. It actually sounds like young people from Brisbane
The Paige Turner Bookshop was written for young Brisbane audiences, and its characters live firmly in their world.
Brisbane itself is part of the story too. Characters talk about Mount Coot-tha, CityCats, Ipswich and other familiar parts of local life.
Families might recognise a little of themselves in the conversations happening inside Miss Paige's shop.
2. There are plenty of laughs along the way
This might be a story with plenty of heart, but it never forgets to have fun.
Miss Paige has a habit of taking things a little too literally. Robin keeps finding ways to steer conversations towards explosions. Kaiden is desperately trying to appear cool about his reading habits, while Rosie is more than happy to embarrass her older brother whenever the opportunity presents itself.
The characters bounce off one another throughout the play, with humour that gives younger audiences plenty to enjoy while offering some jokes for the adults in the room too.
3. The bookshop is coming to life on stage
We wanted audiences to feel as though they had stepped inside a warm neighbourhood bookshop from the moment they entered the theatre.
The set has been designed by Parados Education, with the design team featuring Lèa Ebert, Sari de Koning and Neela de Koning, led by creative director Hayley Davis.
Lachlan Toft has created the animation design, which transforms the projected world behind the performers as different stories unfold. S&B TECHWORKS are responsible for the lighting and sound design that completes the atmosphere.
Bookshelves, real books, armchairs and Miss Paige's counter help turn the EPAC stage into a bookshop we hope audiences will want to stay inside long after the performance finishes.
4. There is something here for different generations
At its heart, The Paige Turner Bookshop is interested in why stories matter to us.
Each visitor arrives with a different relationship with books, and Miss Paige has her own thoughts about what they should be reading. Her philosophy is simple. A bookshop exists to share stories, and sometimes the book you need might not be the one you expected to find.
That creates plenty of room for adventure and silliness, but also some warmer moments about growing up and discovering the things that matter to you.
5. Two performances are perfect for a morning family outing
We know an evening trip to the theatre does not work for every family.
That is why two of our four performances begin at 10:30am, giving families the option of seeing the show earlier in the day.
You can join us on Sunday 18 October at 10:30am or Saturday 24 October at 10:30am, with evening performances also available on 17 and 23 October.
Come inside The Paige Turner Bookshop
Opening night is getting very close, and we cannot wait to finally welcome Brisbane families into Miss Paige's mysterious little shop.
Come for the books, meet our wonderfully strange collection of characters and support a new professional production created right here in Brisbane.
There are only four performances from 17 to 24 October. Book your tickets now and find out which stories are waiting for you inside The Paige Turner Bookshop.