This show belongs to the Adelaide Fringe 2026 season. This season is now over.

Three paper maché animal critters wearing backpacks joining The Walking School Bus
College of stills from The Walking School Bus music video shoot
College of stills from The Walking School Bus music video shoot
Adelaide Fringe 2026

The Walking School Bus

The Walking School Bus is a one-person, interactive theatre adventure where the audience become the players in a giant board game spread across the floor. Blending songs, animations, engaging characters, and a few unexpected turns, the show follows a quest to discover where — and why — a creature-classmate is wagging school. Kids don’t just watch the story unfold; they take an active role in telling it. Solving clues hidden under bridges and behind trees, each move sparks music, puzzles, and playful chaos as the mystery deepens.

Along the way, the story lightly explores some of the emotional and psychological reasons a student might skip school, presenting these ideas in a thoughtful, non-judgemental manner.
Created for ages 7–11, this 45-minute experience invites kids into an imaginative theatre-game world that encourages curiosity, teamwork, and awareness of what others might be going through.

Presented by: Tilney Cotton

Kids and Family • Interactive
South Australia • World Premiere

Suitability & warnings

Content rating: G
Family friendly: Yes
Target audience: Junior Primary (5-7) | Primary (8-11)
Mental Health

Accessibility

 
High visual content
 
Audience members have the opportunity to interact or join artist on stage
 
Suitable for audiences who may not have a comprehensive understanding of the English language

Presenter

Presented by: Tilney Cotton

Social media