In 2022 Barking Gecko Theatre, Western Australia’s longest-running professional theatre company, will present two wondrous new works for theatre lovers of all ages.
Premiering on 8 April is The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker from the writer/director duo of Dan Giovannoni and Luke Kerridge; creators of 2021’s sell-out smash hit HOUSE and Helpmann Award-winning Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories. This brand new Australian play is about creativity, growing up and living outside of the box.
It is the story of Wilbur Whittaker, whose mind, as a boy, would wander and wonder, but these days he cares more about sensible things like neck-ties and… fences. That is until one night when Wilbur is visited by a collections officer from ‘The Bureau’ – a recycling agency for long forgotten wonderings. Wilbur surrenders a special shoebox of his most precious childhood wonderings only to discover that without it, he begins to disappear. With time running out before he is un-wondered forever, Wilbur is drawn into an epic adventure that takes him to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. This 80s inspired electric dream is a heartfelt and irreverent escapade for the whole family. The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker premieres in the Heath Ledger Theatre at the State Theatre Centre of WA before rocketing off to Karratha, Bunbury and Albany in April and May.
From 9-16 July, Barking Gecko brings lauded WA storyteller Shaun Tan’s masterpiece Cicada to life with exquisite puppetry and visual storytelling. Winner of the Children’s Book Council Award for Best Picture Book in 2019, it has been adapted for the stage by Barking Gecko’s Artistic Director Luke Kerridge and leading theatre makers Arielle Gray and Tim Watts.
It is the tale of a dutiful cicada who works away in a grey office. Overlooked and unappreciated by his co-workers, Cicada weaves a dream of escape, keeping his secrets hidden until the day something truly extraordinary begins to happen… A small story of epic proportions, Cicada is an enchanting tale of difference, resilience and the light we all have inside ourselves.
Following its Perth premiere, in the Studio Underground at State Theatre Centre of WA, Cicada will hit the road for regional WA in the second half of 2022. Four-day community engagement workshops for children, The Cicada Experience, will run in Harvey, Geraldton, Esperance and Albany in January. Led by Barking Gecko Teaching Artists, the workshops conclude with participants presenting a showing to parents and families. This project has been made possible by federal government funding under the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund.
2022 will also see Barking Gecko’s Creative Learning programs continue to flourish. Gecko Ensembles will expand into new regional areas, and School Drama, Barking Gecko’s teacher professional learning program, will continue to work wonders in classrooms across Perth and regional WA. In 2022 theatres will once again overflow with students at school matinee performances, including three thousand children who will access these experiences through fully subsidised tickets and transport as part of Barking Gecko’s Inspire Program.
“A famous philosopher once said, ‘All wisdom begins in wonder’,” Artistic Director Luke Kerridge said.
“Wonder is something we all come into the world with yet if we do not care for it, it is lost. Barking Gecko Theatre exists to inspire wonder and creativity in young people. And with wonder, comes a special kind of wisdom. We look forward to seeing you and your family at the theatre in 2022!”
See the full program at barkinggecko.com.au
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