Kidzconnect | Russell

Adding a new dimension to children's theatre by building a scalable product ecosytem

This project enabled Kidzconnect expand their stage-led productions to a multi-format creative brand by defining an NPD pathway that makes theatre more versatile and engaging for children, with Theatre in a Box as the first tangible proof of this new direction

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

Kidzconnect is a children’s theatre company known for high-quality stage productions that spark imagination and creativity. My team's previous work with them built the position that theatre can do more than entertain; it can give kids a sense of agency and spark wonder.

We helped the company articulate this as its core proposition, framing theatre as a tool for imagination, expression, and self-led discovery.

Explored the vector of wonderment, studying storytelling formats especially in alternative and interactive media to decode what truly excites kids today.

Identified the NPD opportunity to productise theatre into an at-home, self-directed experience that would bring agency + wonder to life beyond the stage.

Conceived and developed the “Theatre in a Box” prototype, including:

writing three scripts designed to test different behaviours and life-skill responses
acting as creative director for script cards, prop usage, and narrative structure
sourcing and assembling physical props from Crawford Market
designing the product experience, packaging, and interaction flow
overseeing visual design with the studio team

I ran playtesting with eight children across target age groups and used feedback to refine the final prototype

OUTCOME

Delivered a full Christmas-themed Theatre in a Box, packed with scripts, props and storylines, that showed how theatre could become a portable, child-driven product.

Confirmed strong engagement through multi-child playtesting and set up a scalable NPD track for future thematic kits.

Helped the founders see what theatre could become, giving them confidence in expanding into products, formats and spaces they hadn’t previously imagined.

THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Kids’ entertainment has been reshaped by technology, with a high bar for wonder, immersion, and autonomy. Compared to gaming, digital storytelling and interactive media, traditional theatre felt static and one-dimensional.

After articulating their new rivalry proposition of agency + wonder, Kidzconnect needed to: