After making its debut in 2015, this family show commissioned by Victorian Opera returns for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it two-day season.

A pity it’s so short, as The Grumpiest Boy in the World is a treat for young lovers of music and theatre, and an easy entry point for little ones starting their performing-arts adventures.

Those who attended the first outing of this new production evidently enjoyed it; even though it was a relaxed performance (so everything from talking to moving around is allowed) there was hardly a whisper or wriggle. No doubt the 40-minute run time (not the advertised hour) helps keep junior audience members engaged, but even four minutes could have been too long for some had the show not been entertaining from start to finish.

Victorian Opera’s The Grumpiest Boy in the World. Photo © Charlie Kinross

This mini opera is adapted from the play of the same name by the writer himself, Finegan Kruckemeyer. His title character is Zachary, an eight-year-old boy frustrated about being ordinary. In his imagination he travels to a land of strange creatures, from a giant to a talking bird. He expects to stand out here...