Spring’s here and the buds are blooming.

Trees, Bees, and Me! is a squeaky clean kids’ show by Horse With No Name that arrives just in time for the school holidays. It’s a charming, delightful tale-within-a-tale that brings out a lot of meaty themes for the children to chew on, such as grief, environmentalism, and learning to grow.

The core premise is that Mimi, played by Salomé Neely, wants to play one of their favourite games of make-believe; fighting the Litterbug, played by their father, played by Ryan Cundy (there’s lots of roles-within-roles here, get on board!) and his sidekick, Binny, played by Trey, played by Gabby Clark. Together with Misty Mike, played by Poppa, played by Tadhg Mackay, they skitter from game to game, squashing the Litterbug’s schemes with a little help from the Queen Bee, played by Nan, played by Catriona Tipene.

The cast is cheeky and playful with each other, as the characters literally pop up around the stage. For the most part, they’re the fantastical characters that serve to clean up or litter the whenua, but occasionally step out of those roles to remind us that this is a loving family that prioritises sunscreen and safety over letting a game take over their lives.

The set is gorgeous from the moment you walk in. The little workshop looks used and functional, and the dumpster is convincing even with a sneaky production logo stencilled on top. The core of it is the Kōwhai tree in the middle of the stage, a wisened, solid presence that evokes the Deku Tree from the Legend of Zelda. It’s a beautiful little garden for the performers to play in, and the kids are delighted to see all the little bits of bobs strewn about. It gives the impression of a well-enjoyed garden. The design team (Brendan West, James Searle, Loretta Knights, Eli Hancock) have done a fantastic job in creating a celebration of the outdoors, no matter how close to home.

Of course, it’s the performers who bring the world to life.

Salomé Neely is the self-proclaimed hero in Mimi, who initially seems like a bit of a brat, but in time, comes to learn what it is to cede control of their story and play to other people. Neely convincingly plays both sides of their character; with a springy step for the joyful, wild-eyed version of Mimi, and a solemn, hurt dejection for the grieving side of the same coin.

They are mostly supported by Tadhg Mackay, whose Poppa and Misty Mike are a grounded presence in Mimi’s fantastical world. Mackay enters every scene with a gravitas that makes both the audience and the characters feel safe in his presence. He allows the characters to roam free while he holds the space and massages his aching back.

The kids laugh to no end at Ryan Cundy’s Litterbug who delights in spreading trash and litter across the garden. He’s bringing his best goblin energy and there are some incredibly satisfying boos from the audience whenever he comes close to success. He’s an incorrigable rascal with a monologue that has the kids cheering when he’s thwarted.

Alongside him is the trusty sidekick, Gabby Clark as Trey who, as his name suggests, serves. Trey is the real heart of the story, a foil against Mimi’s insistence that the story go their way. There’s a real cheer when the sidekick gets his due and helps save the day.

My personal favourite is the Queen Bee, played by Catriona Tipene. She perfectly captures the sweetheart grandmother with her ditzy attitude, and her costumes slays throughout the show (credit to Victoria Gridley, Dani Fredrickson and Sarah Bell). It’s a real joy to watch her accidentally knock over a bottle with her stinger or poke Poppa’s eye with her antenna.

All the performers work wonderfully well together, engaging the audience with their mixes of song, dance, and even fighting. There’s always new to latch onto, and there are even some cheeky lines thrown in for the adults in the room. By the end of the show, the whole audience is booing, cheering and clapping which makes the impactful moments of the story ignite with excitement. I wish there was just a little more prep work earlier in the show to stoke those fires sooner because the moments where the heroes pose to full audience reception are so fulfilling to be a part of.

Ultimately, what Horse With No Name is doing here is providing quality, original theatre for tamariki to experience, instead of the usual imported Disney-plus works that tend to be more successful. It’s a chance for kids to see our own backyward represented on stage, complete with the use of te reo, which gives it that completely homegrown feel. It’s so important that work like this exists, because it just highlights who we are, creatively, as a country, and without it, we risk losing parts of our culture to the sands of time.

This is a kiwi show for kiwi kids, and a great way to showcase talent in Aotearoa. Get to it these holidays!

Trees, Bees, and Me is running from 28th September to the 12th of October at Circa Theatre. Tickets available from the Circa Theatre website.

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show.
Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.