A tiny opera for tiny people offers a magical theatre experience for young audiences and a response to the sleep struggles almost half of Australian children experience.
Ellis and the Night Orchestra blends live music, gentle storytelling and playful imagination to create an intimate performance, inviting children to explore sound, emotion and creativity at The Corner, the State Library of Queensland’s playful learning space.
Composer/performer, Associate Professor Tim Munro from Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium, said bedtime struggles with his own young son inspired him to co-create the show with his wife, writer/director Julie Ritchey.
“We started by bringing together 15 young people, gathering thoughts about bedtime: their struggles, delights and fears,” Associate Professor Munro said.
“Then we worked alongside our three amazing performers and started to turn those thoughts into music.”
Featuring four musicians (violin, flute, percussion and an actor/singer), including Griffith acting alum, Mia Lierich, the story followed Ellis, who was too scared to sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he heard strange sounds, some of them scary.
But as the night unfolded, Ellis began to befriend the sounds, becoming the conductor of his very own night orchestra and transforming his fears into beautiful music.
Clinical Psychologist and creator of the Lights Out treatment program for child sleep problems, Professor Caroline Donovan from the Griffith School of Applied Psychology, said the performance was a nice way to get children and parents thinking and talking about sleep.
“Sleep problems affect 38 per cent of Australian children, and 14 per cent have moderate to severe sleep problems,” Professor Donovan said.
“When children do not get enough sleep, it affects every aspect of their life – their physical health, their mental health, their ability to interact with other children, their ability to function at school – everything.
“Furthermore, when kids don’t sleep, parents don’t sleep, and that can effect parent mental health and ability to function.”
Associate Professor Munro said he hoped audiences would discover that music could express far more than they previously thought.
“We hope the children who come to the show feel seen and heard, and that grown-ups can laugh at familiar situations but can also understand better the thoughts and feelings of their children.”
The free show will tour libraries across Queensland during school holidays in 2026/7, including in Toowoomba, Warwick, Townsville, Cairns and Mackay.
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Tim Munro
