This one’s for the little theater lovers: Atofri, one of Poland’s most influential children’s theatre companies, is back in Shanghai with Play, Paper House—a wildly imaginative show built entirely around cardboard boxes, sound play, and physical theater. If kids loved Playtime Mud or Mr. Paper Sati, this is another guaranteed hit. Expect 45 minutes of pure creativity, lots of laughs, and a stage that turns everyday objects into magic. Suitable for children aged 2-7.

Another play-themed journey, Play, Paper House, heads off to wonderfully unexpected places

This production is created by Poland’s Atofri Children’s Theatre Company—one of the country’s most influential groups. Their hit show Mr. Paper also comes from their creative team.

Atofri is known for performances built around physical theater and everyday objects, crafting imaginative, inventive stage experiences. Their works have toured in more than 20 countries worldwide.

For the past four years, this show has sold out everywhere it has toured. It celebrates play, curiosity, and creative thinking—making kids more engaged and imaginative. Children who enjoyed Playtime Mud or Mr. Paper Sati shouldn’t miss this highly creative, concept-driven performance.

A magical box full of possibilities

These cardboard boxes—air-shipped from Europe—transform continuously in the hands of the performers. They become imaginative props that turn the stage into a fairy-tale world. Kids will see actors “ride” on crutches, chase after trains, watch teddy bears dance, and join in a joyful celebration of imagination and creativity.

PARENTS’ REVIEWS

01 — Comedy & Humor

Laughter is uniquely human; no scientist has ever fully explained how it works.

Creators of comedy are no less serious than creators of tragedy—they simply view the world through a humorous lens, drawing out the exaggeration and absurdity of everyday behavior.

Play, Paper House is not only an interactive, family-friendly show—it also feels like a hilarious immersive sitcom unfolding on stage.

Through lively physical performance, the actors add humor, clowning, and slightly absurd comedic moments. From the very first minute, kids are spellbound—constantly wowed and laughing. Adults end up cracking up too, discovering the energy and charm of live theater.

02 — Cardboard & Imagination

Einstein once said:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, but imagination encircles the world.”

If a child often:

1. Confuses left and right or cardinal directions
2. Struggles to recognize shapes
3. Skips lines or reverses characters when writing
4. Cannot remember routes and gets lost easily
   These may be signs of weaker spatial imagination.

Spatial imagination is essential—not only for early math and geometry, but also as the foundation of creativity.

Play, Paper House offers an artistic way to train these abilities. It’s like attending multiple creative-thinking classes at once, and in many ways provides even more spatial stimulation than building toys.

The cardboard boxes in the show can be assembled in dozens of ways, each one challenging logic, problem-solving, and imagination. Every side carries a different illustration, and as performers flip and reorganize the boxes, surprising and playful images appear, sparking limitless creativity.

03 — Sound & Emotion

Sound is one of the most primitive, intuitive ways humans express joy and sadness. Children often hear instruments in performances—but this show highlights all kinds of playful everyday sounds.

Two ducks arguing?
Whistling with just the lips?
A train whistle created on stage?

This performance uses almost no spoken language. Instead, it relies on humorous physical acting and a series of quirky sounds woven into a story. Young children—especially those learning to speak—respond easily to this emotional soundscape.

Performers even use cardboard boxes as drums, tapping out different rhythms. Through this hands-on interaction, children explore music in a fun, natural way—planting early seeds of musical interest.