Imagine opening your door one morning to discover a lost baby elephant standing outside. To the villagers, the unexpected visitor might look like trouble. To Ying, a young girl who dreams of becoming a superhero, the elephant is a friend who needs help.

That encounter sets the stage for The Forest Heroes, the latest Mandarin theatre production for young audiences by Singapore’s Nine Years Theatre (NYT). Running from 11 to 27 September 2026 at the Drama Centre Black Box, the 55-minute production brings children and families into a vibrant Southeast Asian forest through music, puppetry, imaginative play and audience interaction.

The story follows Ying and her growing friendship with Fu, the baby elephant who wanders into her village. Ying may not be particularly strong or fearless, but through Fu, she discovers that being a hero isn’t about having superpowers. Sometimes, courage means protecting someone else even when you’re afraid, while kindness itself can be a form of strength.

The story also explores the very real tensions between humans and wildlife as forests shrink and natural habitats disappear. Rather than presenting a simple good-versus-bad environmental lesson, The Forest Heroes encourages young audiences to consider both sides and think about how humans and nature might coexist. Themes including deforestation, habitat loss and flooding emerge naturally through Ying and Fu’s friendship.

The theatre experience begins even before the performance, with a short pre-show interactive session introducing children to the forest and its environmental themes through games and activities. During the show, audiences will also be invited to participate at key moments, working together with the characters to help protect the forest.

Performed entirely in Mandarin, the production offers Mandarin-speaking families a chance to experience the language through live storytelling, while giving children who may not speak Mandarin at home another way to connect with the language through characters and emotion.

The Forest Heroes is the third consecutive children’s production from Nine Years Theatre, following Phinny & Wally in 2024 and Phinny & Wally: Echoes of Home in 2025. The earlier productions introduced young audiences to the adventures of Phinny and Wally, exploring ideas of friendship and the meaning of home. With The Forest Heroes, the company turns its attention from the ocean to the forest, continuing its exploration of themes that encourage children to understand themselves, others and the world around them.

The productions also mark part of NYT’s ongoing commitment to creating original Mandarin theatre for young audiences, offering children opportunities to engage with theatre, the arts and the Mandarin language from an early age.

And while the story is made for children, its questions are surprisingly grown-up: How do we respond when something we don’t understand enters our world? What makes someone brave? Can kindness be a form of strength?

With a Singapore-based creative team led by playwright and associate director Cherilyn Woo and director Isabella Chiam, alongside cast members Seah Janice, Genevieve Tan and Ng Mun Poh and puppetry designer Bright Ong, The Forest Heroes brings together theatre, puppetry and imaginative play for a family-friendly September outing.

Perhaps the most fitting lesson is also the simplest: Ying doesn’t become a hero because she suddenly gains superpowers. She becomes one because she chooses to care. Don’t miss the newest show for families from the acclaimed Nine Years Theatre, running this September.

The Forest Heroes runs from 11th to 27th September 2026 at the Drama Centre Black Box. Tickets available from BookMyShow