Families with preschoolers will likely be familiar with Dora the Explorer , the long-running educational cartoon from US cable network Nickelodeon. Centred on a young Mexican girl named Dora Marquez, it follows her on different adventures with her talking purple backpack and her best friend, a monkey named Boots. Several live theatre productions have spun off from the popular series, including Search for the City of Lost Toys, which will be staged in Hong Kong next week. This is the tale of Dora's journey to the city to rescue her teddy bear, Osito. As with the television show, she must overcome a series of obstacles (on this quest, the number pyramid and mixed-up jungle) that involve solving puzzles or require counting - with the help of young friends in the audience. Accompanied by enthusiastic singing and dancing, the show has been compared to attending a rock concert for under-fives. Youngsters arriving earlier at the venue in Kowloon Bay will be able to enjoy face painting, magic shows and other free activities. The organisers are offering 10 lucky readers two tickets each to the opening show at 8pm on July 11. Write to life@scmp.com with your name and Hong Kong ID card number and use the subject line "Dora Explorer tickets". The winners will be sent a redemption letter, which must be presented at Star Hall reception one hour before show time to claim the tickets. Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys, Jul 11-13, Kitec, Stall Hall, 1 Trademart Dr, Kowloon Bay, HK$150-HK$650 HK Ticketing. Inquiries: 2690 3833
