Patch Theatre finds magic in a child's discovery of their shadow

Patch Theatre's Me & My Shadow opens at the Space Theatre on Friday 14 August 2026 and runs through 29 August, with performances on selected Saturdays. Rating: 5/5

![Two young performers on stage with enlarged shadows projected behind them in blue and purple lighting.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/08/d49405bc-fc48-4865-8db0-788f69ac2390.jpg)

Patch Theatre has built its reputation on taking small, everyday moments and giving them enough craft to hold a room full of kids for 45 minutes without ever talking down to them. Me & My Shadow, opening at the Space Theatre on Friday 14 August, is another example of that approach.

The premise is deliberately simple. A child notices their shadow for the first time, then works through the trickier business of playing with a friend and figuring out how to share. It's the kind of material that could easily feel thin in less capable hands, but Patch has always trusted visual imagination over plot mechanics, and that trust pays off here. The humour lands well with younger audiences, and there's plenty of it scattered through the show.

Young audience members had their own takes.

> "It was really cool, there was another person behind the curtains. I loved the spray paint and it was super cool when they ripped the curtains," said Scarlett, 8.

Another offered a simpler verdict.

> "I loved the lady, cuz she was a funny girl." - Mabel, 3.

A nice practical touch is the mats laid out at the front of the Space Theatre for the littlest attendees, giving them a spot close to the action rather than losing them in rows of seating built for adults.

Further show dates are Saturday 15 August at 1pm and 4pm, Saturday 22 August at 1pm and 4pm, and Saturday 29 August at 1pm and 4pm, all in 2026.

For families with kids who find the theatre experience a little daunting, Patch has put together resources on its website, including FAQs, a Visual Story, and pre- and post-show activities. It's a thoughtful inclusion given how much of Patch's audience is encountering the ritual of sitting in a dark room and watching a story unfold for the very first time. Anything that takes the mystery out of that before the lights go down is worth having.

Me & My Shadow looks like Patch doing what it does best, taking something gentle and ordinary and giving it real craft. For Adelaide families after an early outing to the theatre that wraps up well before bedtime, this one is worth the diary note.

Patch also runs school performances of the show, mostly sold out, but bookings can be checked via the link below for those interested.

[https://www.patchtheatre.org.au/2026-me-my-shadow-school-booking-form](https://www.patchtheatre.org.au/2026-me-my-shadow-school-booking-form)

![A child stands beside their shadow silhouette projected on a vertical surface during a theatrical performance lit in purple and blue.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/08/f574f549-5a81-4beb-aa97-50784f98e996.jpg)