Sharjah24: The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) will raise the curtain on a whopping 130 performances of four live shows and two theatrical plays during its 13th edition, set to take place over 12 days from May 11 – 22 in Expo Centre Sharjah. The line-up of show-stopping productions have been included in the festival’s offerings to spark the younger generation’s interest and curiosity in the field of performing arts.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), SCRF 2022 carries the theme ‘Create Creativity’. 

Live shows 
The quirky characters and fantastical storylines from The Magic School Bus will be brought to life in a groundbreaking musical adaptation of the ongoing edutainment Scholastic book series, whose popularity transcends generations. Join Miss Frizzle and her class as they board the eponymous big yellow bus and embark on impossible adventures through space and time to learn about science through catchy showtunes and energetic dance routines.  

Audiences at SCRF will be wowed by a unique performance staged by the Brick People, a troupe of entertainers featuring life-sized toy characters, while a show titled The Magic Lab Show, and presented by scientists and lab technicians, will teach the audience the principles of aerodynamics and thermal energy.

A stunning ice-skating show titled The Mystical Garden will tell the story of a young girl who finds herself isolated from society with no network on her phone or tablet, and her journey to reconnecting with the world. 

Theatrical productions
SCRF’s visitors can enjoy Akbar the Great, Nahi Rahay, a tongue-in-cheek satire of current events in India featuring the third Mughal emperor and his contemporary Maha Rana Pratap, which aims to impart a message of harmony through humour.

The second play, titled Zetura, is a classic tale of star-crossed lovers set in a fictional kingdom. Breaking the long-standing traditions of the kingdom of Zetura, the king falls in love with a commoner to the chagrin of the most respected personage in the land – his own grandmother Dada. 

The live shows and stage productions are part of a comprehensive programme of more than1,900 children- and youth-oriented activities at SCRF 2022.