The Joy House Collective

‘Croc, Let’s Talk!’ Forum Theatre Performance for the children of Orchid Garden Nepal

Croc, Let’s Talk, Forum Theatre for Kids, Performing for a Cause, Storytelling Performance

Performance for underprivileged children of Orchid Garden Nepal, Kathmandu | May 13, 2025

While the animals, birds, and insects (role-played by students) dance and move around the pond with a friendly Grandma Alligator, a fierce crocodile enters and pushes them out. The students try to share their thoughts and reasons with the crocodile, but the Croc is no mood to Talk! As the students come together to discuss how to get their pond back, Grandma Alligator tells them that the pond is very sick. They rush to see it and find it covered with algae and overgrown wild grass. The crocodile is also unwell, and mosquitoes swarm the area.

Now the animals had a big decision to make. Should they help the crocodile? Should they punish him? Or should they find a new way to deal with the problem? The students split into groups, shared their ideas, and acted them out to see what might happen next.

Later, the crocodile quietly left the pond and left behind a letter. The animals read it and learned his story—why he came to their pond and why he behaved badly. Now the big question was: should they forgive him? Should they invite him back? And how should they clean and protect their pond? This special performance used a method called forum theatre, where the story is paused and the audience is invited to talk, think, and solve the problem together. It helps children use their imagination, think deeply, and work as a team.

We were lucky to bring this performance to the wonderful children at Orchid Garden Nepal, a school in Kathmandu that gives free education to underprivileged children. The way these children discussed, debated, and showed care for the crocodile and the environment was truly amazing. The story focused on big ideas like climate change, kindness, and how to respond in a conflict.

After an interactive session of Storytelling, the kids participated in an art workshop led by The Joy House team where they created invitation cards for the crocodile to come back to their pond and be their friend. The idea of Home and what it means to each child was something very special to see in the creative invitations they made. Their empathy towards the crocodile, the pond, and the environment stood out in their art.