Windmill Theatre Bringing GRUG to Shanghai

South Australian Minister for the Arts Jack Snelling this morning announced that Windmill Theatre is to tour its international award- winning work Grug to Shanghai for four weeks in October. This follows a successful season of the early childhood work in Hong Kong last month and a critically acclaimed sell-out season of its family musical, Pinocchio, a co-production with State Theatre of SA, in New York City in March.

The South Australian work will premiere as part of a new Arts Festival for Young Audiences at Art Space for Kids, a newly constructed theatre for family audiences in Shanghai. It will open on 1 October, which is National Day of the People's Republic of China, and will encompass 40 performances over 25 days, playing to approximately 6,000 children and their families over the four- week period. The program will also encompass a series of post-performance workshops based on Windmill's award-winning interactive arts education program.

Minister Snelling remarked, 'China represents an exciting new market for this award winning theatre company. As well as building all-important cultural ties between our two countries, I'm thrilled that Windmill is contributing to the State Government's strategic priority of building and strengthening engagement with the Chinese market with its high quality, world class offering.'

Crucially, the tour will open up dialogue with a leading youth theatre producer who is interested in touring the work across mainland China in the near future, while also generating employment for Australian artists and greater profile for the company and its work in Asia.

Windmill's new General Manager and Producer, Sandy Verschoor said, 'The Chinese market represents an amazing opportunity to expand our international touring footprint whilst also showcasing our quality new work for children in one of the world's largest economies. Windmill is widely recognised as a world leader in its work for very young children and Grug is an example of the company's commitment to the development of performance and educational programs specific to this audience group.

We're thrilled to share this unique and iconic Australian storybook character with Chinese children and their families.'

Early childhood work, Grug, has played to over 50,000 young people worldwide since its Adelaide premiere in 2012, representing Windmill's most successful export to date. The play is based on the much-loved picture book character created by Ted Prior and features an all-South Australian team led by director Sam Haren and features performances by Ellen Steele, Hamish Fletcher and Matthew Crook, with music by DJ TR!P.

Featuring simple storytelling, elegant design and exquisite puppetry, it has won the prestigious International Performing Arts for Youth Victor Award for Best Show in Tampa Florida, two Business SA Export Awards, a Helpmann Award nomination for Best Presentation for Children and a Ruby Award nomination for Best Work.

Grug has already made its mark in North America, with 157 performances in 13 cities during a five-month tour of the US and Canada in 2013. Negotiations are under way for two new works - Big Bad Wolf and Grug the Rainbow - to follow in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The second installation of the popular franchise, Grug and the Rainbow, premiered to a sell out season in Adelaide last year and plays at the Arts Centre Melbourne in July.

Earlier this year the company reached another momentous milestone, eclipsing 500,000 children and families that have attended a Windmill show worldwide. The company has performed 56 works, including 27 new commissioned works, and undergone 55 regional, national and international tours taking in 38 cities across eight countries, representing 2,400 individual performances.

Grug will play at Art Space for Kids in Shanghai from 1 to 25 October 2015.

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