ONE of my favourite shows at last year’s Hilton Arts Festival was Michael Taylor-Broderick’s exquisite one-hander, The King of Broken Things.

It’s a deeply poignant, stunningly lit production with a memorable performance by Cara Roberts (pictured here) as a young boy who wants to prove that broken things, once repaired, are often stronger — and more beautiful — than ever.

The King of Broken Things is a magical excursion into the rehabilitation of broken and discarded objects, hearts included. This bittersweet journey, viewed through the unfiltered mind of a child, will, whether you’re seven or 87, rehabilitate your heart.

I cannot recommend this beautiful show more highly. Catch it in the DWR Music Block, on the Hilton College campus, at 7 pm on Friday, September 13, and 10 am and 8 pm on Saturday, September 14. Tickets are R120.

Taylor-Broderick, who is based in Durban, is also bringing a new show, The Forgotten Years of Donald K Pumkin to Hilton this year, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what he and Bryan Hiles have created together.

On show in the DWR Music Block at 4 pm on Saturday, September 14 and 11.45 am on Sunday, September 15, the play centres on Donald K. Pumkin, reluctant philosopher and a genuine 21st century Don Quixote.

Theatre-goers are invited to join him as he journeys through his lost and forgotten years, while he attempts to sell you a vacuum cleaner.

It’s a story that reveals how important it is to bravely obey your heart and to fearlessly pursue your dreams, in a world that prefers normal, predictable people to romantics.

As Taylor-Broderick says: “Missing your calling in life is far more hazardous than missing the school bus…”

Tickets for The Forgotten Years of Donald K Pumkin are R110.

Taylor-Broderick, a talented, writer, director and lighting guru, is also the guiding light behind The Place of Small Miracles, which is being staged in the DWR Music Block at 6 pm on Saturday, September 14 and at 1.15 pm and 2.15 pm on Sunday, September 15.

The show stars Cara Roberts and Bryan Hiles (pictured here) who invite you to join them on an exhibition to find The Place of Small Miracles, which lies somewhere between 37 degrees North and 43 degrees South.

For those that seek it, there is the promise that magic exists under every footfall … all you need is a map, a mountain range and a piggy-bank.

Mysterious lands and infinite imaginings await those who dare to climb through the fences of their perception … and the Theatresmiths promise that, with the help of puppetry, theatrics and clever trickery, they will bring you safely back home.

Tickets for The Place of Small Miracles are R100.

• To book for these delightful shows, which are suitable for the whole family, go to http://www.hiltonfestival.co.za. You can also book at the box office at Hilton College. For more information phone 033 383 0126 or email theatre@hiltoncollege.com