Shaun the Sheep backflips onto the stage for a live action, circus extravaganza

Family favourite Shaun the Sheep is set to appear in a live remake of the claymation series, combining animation, theatre and circus.

Bring the whole flock … performers (from top) Skip Walker-Milne, Jon Bonaventura and Nathan Boyle from Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show. Picture: Glenn Hunt

Hot on the heels of the live-action show of Bluey comes another favourite TV animation, Shaun the Sheep, landing on the stage with an acrobatic twist.

Aardman, the British animation studio behind the stop-motion series Wallace and Gromit and hit film Chicken Run, has teamed up with acclaimed Brisbane company Circa for Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show.

The blend of theatre, film and circus opened at Brisbane’s QPAC on Tuesday.

“Shaun the Sheep is a truly brilliant series,” said Circa’s artistic director Yaron Lifschitz.

“It doesn’t use words, which is great for us, and it’s full of creativity, mischief and physical action.”

The Brisbane-based company at the forefront of contemporary circus has performed for more than 1.5 million people across 40 countries, often blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre and acrobatics. Lifschitz said Shaun was perfect as it was “packed with imagination”.

“It’s a loveable family story set in Mossy Bottom, and we’ve used the physicality of the show to take the audience to a different world with our cheeky characters.”

The two-part performance follows Shaun — a sheep who acts like a person in a barnyard — as he gets into trouble alongside his simple-minded flock.

Ngaio Harding-Hill, from Aardman, said the company long had an ambition to turn Shaun the Sheep into a live-action show.

“The physicality of circus performance marries perfectly with the slapstick traditions, thrills and humour of the brand,” she said.

“Circa’s creative vision made them the perfect partner to create a Shaun the Sheep Circus Show for global audiences.”

The world premiere season will play at QPAC until March 21, and will move to Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on April 14.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the show was a “great win” for the state, not just for the arts community, but for the steadily growing economy.

“The arts industry employs thousands of people throughout the state. World class productions like this will help the sector recover from the impact of COVID-19,” she said.

With Bluey’s Big Play: The Stage Show continuing to tour the country this month, it’s a big year for familiar farm friends as they take the next step up to the stage.