On a bright day at The Lyric Theatre, the hall came alive with Aya and the Butterfly, a touching and uplifting puppet show that left our young audience spellbound.
Based on a book of the same name, the performance follows the journey of Aya, a young girl grappling with the grief of losing her father during the Christchurch mosque attacks. Through her tender care of monarch caterpillars, Aya discovers healing, transformation, and resilience as she watches them become butterflies.
This beautiful production was brought to life by the award-winning team of Roger and Bridget Sanders of Birdlife Productions, renowned for their handcrafted puppets and captivating storytelling. The puppets themselves were exquisite works of art—delicately designed and brought to life through skilled movement, embodying the spirit of nature’s transformative power. The monarch caterpillars, chrysalises, and butterflies all felt incredibly real, enhancing the show's theme of growth and healing.
The play is based on the book Aya and the Butterfly by Maysoon Salama, a story that captures the resilience of the human spirit through a child’s eyes. Maysoon’s sensitive storytelling paired with Birdlife Productions’ artistry created a performance that resonated deeply with our young audience.
Beyond its heavy origins, Aya and the Butterfly was a feel-good production filled with joy, laughter, and vibrant audience participation. The show skillfully wove delicate themes of loss and renewal into a performance that was accessible and engaging for children and adults alike.
The audience of around 70 including children from Granity School, Karamea Area School, and several Granity home-school families filled The Lyric Theatre with curiosity and excitement. Their giggles, cheers, and enthusiastic interactions with the puppeteers brought a special magic to the performance. They added another layer to the beautiful and well-used music throughout the show, clapping along to drums and guitars.
The cherry on top was an array of beautiful custom-crafted butterfly cookies donated by the team at Rainbow Cake Kitchen. Everyone got to enjoy a delicious cookie after the show, ending on a high note.
We are sincerely grateful to: Granity
Op Shop for sponsorship towards this event which enabled free entry to
the children of Northern Buller, Bridget & Roger Sanders of Birdlife
Productions for sharing your powerful story with our people, Arts on
Tour NZ for connecting quality events with provincial venues, Rainbow
Cake Kitchen for 100 hand-made butterfly cookies, our volunteers -
Annie, Davey, Timmi, Carlos, Gae, Jeanette, Steve and of course, the
families of our community.
