“Overall this show will have your kids jumping with excitement on the way to the theatre as well as on the way home and as always, take a pen and pad so you can take notes on being better parents.“
LM and Sir Mason
4 /5 Blue Heelers
There will not be too many people in Australia that have not heard of Bluey. Having children is not necessarily a prerequisite for knowing, or enjoying this breakout Australian kid’s animation program. Internationally it is also building quite a following with an Emmy award under its belt. So no surprises that a stage show now travels around bringing a ‘live’ experience of the show. We have a three year old who is a big fan. It might not have made it to the lofty heights of one other show in his opinion, but he has watched enough that we can now quote a few lines and know pretty much every episode by a little descriptive line.. “ohh the one when they go to the pool” or “you mean the butterflies one”. It is a show I don’t mind him watching as it is full of encouragement to explore the imagination and for parents to engage in play with their kids… at our place we have adopted a couple of tricks and games that have worked a treat.
The big question heading into the Sydney Opera house was ‘Can the live stage show match the lofty heights of the TV show in both entertainment and engagement’. The short answer is yes, but your certainty will vary depending on where you see the show.
The storyline takes the same form as the TV show. It is a moment in time in the lives of Bluey, Bingo, Mum (Chilli) and Dad (Bandit). There are problems and they are creatively resolved. In this instant Dad is preoccupied with his mobile and the kids want to play with him, they steal the phone, have some sibling clashes and all is resolved creatively. This time leaving dad to realise that he has missed an opportunity to spend quality time with the kids. Written by series creator, Joe Brumm with a score by series composer Joff Bush you know you are in safe hands. This is backed up by the pre-recorded voices of the talented cast from the series, Dave McCormack (Bandit), Melanie Zanetti (Chilli) as well as those of Bluey and Bingo.
Jonathon Oxlade’s set is a blown up version of the all too familiar world and the puppetry work is excellent. It was eye-catching, entertaining and well crafted. All credit to Puppetry Director, Jacob Williams. Director Rose Myers brings the story beautifully to the stage. There with some smart, carefully managed moments in the pre-show to keep young, fidgety audience members focussed on the stage and there are moments carefully crafted encouraging audience participation within the show itself. The musical dance moments had the kids on their feet.
My only issues with this show are venue specific. At the Sydney Opera House the show was put on in the Joan Sutherland Theatre which can seat up to 1,500 audience members. There is a long way from the back of the theatre to the stage and with no screens used there was no way the children were going to be able to stay focused. Our three year old started to get distracted at the 30 minute mark and this was a common problem. My second issue is with the Sydney Opera house charging for babies from 0 to 11 months sitting on parents laps. Our seven month old was not taking up a seat and even though it was only $10in just didn’t feel right.
Overall this show will have your kids jumping with excitement on the way to the theatre as well as on the way home and as always, take a pen and pad so you can take notes on being better parents.
LM and Sir Mason, Theatre Now
