Review snippets

It's always a delight to come across a children's theatre piece that ticks all the boxes. Miranda Hampton's McNirt Hates Dirt is an utterly enchanting, gentle and thoroughly engaging story of a man who hates dirt and his neighbour who loves plants and the organic thrill of getting her hands into the soil. It is a recipe for conflict, but Hampton handles the story with such delicacy and appreciation of the child's world, that McNIrt Hates Dirt is a template for all that is wonderful in children's theatre.

From small things big things grow, and this production deserves to blossom into full flower.

Peter Wilkins Canberra Critics Circle

http://ccc-canberracriticscircle.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/mcnirt-hates-dirt-at-adelaide-fringe.html

There is no "dumbing down" for the kids, no bottom jokes; nor loud slapstick antics. Show writer, designer and producer Miranda Hampton respects her little audience members and the result is a room full of engaged children. The characters interact with the kids, and the kids are welcome to involve themselves in the show, with no pressure to stay quiet and still - although this happens naturally thanks to a performance that captures their intelligence and imaginations.

My four year old laughed his way through the entire performance and rejoiced in the quirky songs and interactions with the characters. My five year old cherished the story, embraced the chance to help and delighted in digging in the mud to plant a tree at the end.

It's wonderful to see such a beautiful show created locally, and McNirt Hates Dirt is a definite recommendation on the Fringe children's theatre calendar.

Ali Moylan InDaily

http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/festivals/2015/02/23/mcnirt-hates-dirt/

Two actors, a musician and a technical operator deliver subtle and nuanced performances in a beautifully designed, intimate space that invokes wonder immediately when you enter it. A mix of rhyming couplets and song, this is world-class theatre for the very young, produced with meticulous care.

McNirt Hates Dirt, is an original, thoughtful story, that effortlessly develops its themes of sustainability, connectedness and friendship in a theatrically inventive way. Indeed the work connects with its audience beautifully. I have seen a lot of work for children all over the world over a 25 year period and this production sits comfortably with the best I’ve seen for this age range.

Dave Brown(former artistic director of Patch Theatre Company)