Windmill Theatre Celebrates 500,000 Tickets Sold

Fresh off the back of its critically acclaimed sell-out season of Pinocchio in New York, Adelaide-based national youth theatre company Windmill Theatre has reached another significant milestone, selling its 500,000th ticket since the company was founded in 2002.

Blackwood resident and father of three Greg Miller scored the landmark ticket when he bought a family pass to Windmill's upcoming season of Bear With Me, a musical tribute to the teddy bear which opens on July 7 at The Space Theatre at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

"I'm thrilled to have helped Windmill achieve this milestone," Mr Miller said.

"Our family has always enjoyed Windmill's shows and we look forward to the time they sell their millionth ticket."

The ticket sale represents another momentous achievement for Windmill, which over the last 14 years has entertained more than 500,000 children and families in Australia and overseas. Since 2002 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.

SA Arts Minister Jack Snelling today congratulated Windmill on its success.

"Windmill was born as an initiative of the SA Government to establish a new national theatre company for young people and family audiences. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength and has been pivotal in building South Australia's reputation as a world leader in the creation of exceptional theatre for young people," Mr Snelling said.

"I congratulate the team on reaching this fantastic milestone."

Windmill General Manager and Producer Sandy Verschoor said the record ticket sale marked the start of a dynamic period for the company.

"The next 12 months promises to be a very exciting time for the company with the premiere of our first feature film, Girl Asleep, as part of the Adelaide Film Festival in October," she said.

Windmill has enjoyed a remarkable period of growth and success in recent years, marked by a string of accolades including four national Helpmann Awards, two Business SA Export Awards, two SA Ruby Awards for Best Work and the 2012 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award for Excellence - the first such awarded to a youth theatre company in Australia.

Following its return from a sell-out season of Pinocchio in New York last month, Windmill is now in early negotiations for an American tour of its two newest works, Big Bad Wolf and Grug and the

Rainbow, in 2016 and 2017, and is also working on a new family musical with State Theatre Company of SA to premiere next year.

Windmill's next production, Bear With Me, is a warm and fuzzy romp through the joy and turmoil of the life of a teddy bear aimed at children aged three to six, and runs at The Space Theatre through the school holidays from July 7 to 19.