Bluey’s keeping Windmill Theatre Co, State Theatre Co busy
SA’s Windmill Theatre Co. has latched on to some big economic and creative opportunities ahead of a national tour of popular kids’ show Bluey’s stage adaptation, which will preview in Adelaide.
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SA-based Windmill Theatre Co has helped secure commercial contracts for local artists and set construction and costume makers on arguably the country’s most-awaited stage adaptation amid Victoria’s ongoing challenges with COVID-19.
Rehearsals begin next month in Adelaide for Bluey’s Big Play: The Stage Show, resulting in a flurry of activity and excitement at the State Theatre Company workshop at Thebarton where the sets and costumes are being built.
Eight local actors have also been employed for the rehearsals and contracted for part of the tour in 2021.
Windmill Theatre is working in collaboration with producer Andrew Kay, BBC Live, Brisbane-based creator Joe Brumm and producer Ludo Studio on the stage adaptation of the popular kids animated TV series, co-commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation in 2017. The international broadcasting rights to the engaging stories of blue heeler puppy Bluey and her family were acquired by Disney in June 2019.
The stage show will feature an original story written by Mr Brumm and extensive life-size puppets of Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli by Melbourne artist Joe Blanck.
About 148,000 tickets have already been sold for what was to be a 50-stop national tour starting in May, but it has been postponed to next year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Organisers were also forced to relocate rehearsals out of Victoria, opening up an opportunity for Windmill to secure local work.
Windmill Theatre’s artistic director Rose Myers said it is “certainly a win for SA”.
“If all goes well, this could be an extensive chunk of work; there’s up to 10 months of touring for that show, COVID-dependent.
“It’s a massive property. This kind of a show will tour a lot and for many years, we hope we can bring more of the actors interstate back in on the project,” Ms Myers said.
Adelaide will host some premiere preview performances for a select audience before the national tour kicks off in Brisbane next year, but those dates have not been finalised.
Windmill Theatre’s executive producer Kaye Weeks said it was good to see the momentum build after a sudden stop.
“We had scheduled 305 performances in 51 cities and towns this year across national and international shows. It would actually have been our busiest year to date.
“We lost income last financial year in international presenter fees, which is a big chunk, but we offset some of it with some savings and insurance claims, which was super helpful,” Ms Weeks said.
The group was also able to repurpose tour funds to keep artists employed with no work and help them re-skill with some support grants from the state government.
“Across a usual year, we would contract around 70 artists in addition to our core staff of 10,” Ms Weeks said.
Windmill Theatre will focus on the national market in 2021, presenting two original shows, Creation Creation and Hiccup. Other productions will see shows in 39 cities and towns next year.
Separately, progress is being made on its Windmill Pictures arm. The search is on for an associate director to join the group in a three-year full-time role to help adapt its original shows for screen.
“In a time where COVID has ravaged the arts industry and artists are in a more precarious position … it feels good to be able to boost our output and bring a fresh voice into the fold,” Ms Myers said.