Lisa Allan reviews Up and Away, presented by Cubbin Theatre at the Cloisters Studio, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Wednesday 5 November, 2025.
It is a lovely, sunny Ōtautahi morning and the opening day of Cubbin Theatre’s show for babies, Up and Away, directed by the multi-talented Melanie Luckman. I’ve just fed our son, 10-week old Joe, and his Dad has bundled him into his car seat. We are running a little late because Joe was very happy suckling and drifting off to sleep, unaware, of course, that his parents had grand plans to take him to his very first live performance. Sometimes Joe is playful after feeding, sometimes he goes to sleep. In this moment he has chosen sleep, and I wonder how the show will be for him. Will he sleep through it? Will he wake up and be grumpy or unsettled? These thoughts are gently running alongside the logistics of parking our car and transporting a tiny human from A to B.
We park in the gardens and put Joe into his Moby wrap to walk over to the Arts Centre. We arrive at exactly 11am, as do a few other punters. The rest are milling about outside, enjoying the sunshine. Soon, the actors appear and introduce themselves to the assembly. They are Talia-Rae Pua and Hannah Wheeler, and this is the 20th season of Up and Away – what an incredible milestone for this local theatre troupe. We are reassured that our babies are welcome to make whatever noises they make, including crying. We have been sent an email prior to the show with a heap of beautiful permissions around feeding, changing and other baby-centric needs. This all creates a foundation of inclusivity and accessibility that I feel very comforted by. Cubbin understands what babies and their adults need and they have gone out of their way to provide an environment that is responsive to this.
We remove our shoes and take a seat in a cushion circle on the ground. Most of us lay out a wee blanket for our baby and place them on it. Many of the babies are positioned on their tummies and they are very good at propping themselves up to view the action. I realise that they are probably a bit older than our son (and that we need to do more tummy time!). Joe is awake and we lay him on his back. He seems to be very comfortable in this new space.
The actors are sitting back-to-back in the centre of the circle and the show begins with soothing sleep snores. These soon transition into more percussive sounds, the first of which startles Joe but he settles quickly when his Dad picks him up and sits him on his lap. This is a new experience and Joe is tired but also very curious. With his fist in his mouth (his self-soothing action when he’s tired) he absorbs the sounds and is passed from Mum to Dad and back again throughout, moving slowly closer and further away from the performers as we gauge his comfort levels. His favourite bits are when the lights are lowered and the performers play with glowing lights, including a moon-like orb. He leans in, keen to interact, and the intuitive performer lingers and allows Joe to enjoy the moment.
The performers address and interact with half of the babies each. Mid-way through the show they deftly rotate so that they might share their energies with the other half. Seeing Talia-Rae remain seated and somehow gracefully move herself around in a semi-circle, whilst playing ukelele and singing, is one of the greatest maneuvers I have seen on stage ever. I can’t imagine how many hours went into perfecting that moment!
The cast have a gentle way about them and joyfully exquisite voices. The harmonies they create together are divine. The sound-play, songs, gentle movements, mindful interactions, and simple props are well received by the babies. The not-yet-walking crowd exhibit looks of awe, sometimes they baby-babble, I see two babies meeting each other, some babies suckle at their mothers’ breasts, some are spirited away to be changed, some sit back with quiet interest. There are a few cries that tend to come when the performers move from one phase to another. It is an enchanting and special experience. Some of the moments are a little loud and quick for Joe. The ukelele at the beginning in particular sounds loud for the space, but it either softens or we simply acclimate and it becomes a very enjoyable element.
I learn that the songs from the show are available on Spotify and know that these will become household favourites for Joe to listen to before he attends the show again in the future. I leave the show feeling grateful for Cubbin Theatre and the opportunities that they provide for our youngest members of society (and their adults) to engage with live performance at a level that is appropriate, engaging and full of heart.
Up and Away runs until 9 November. Cubbin Theatre is currently resident at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, and future shows can be found here.
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