GRUG GOES GLOBAL AS WINDMILL RETURNS TO CHINA

By: Nov. 23, 2017
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GRUG GOES GLOBAL AS WINDMILL RETURNS TO CHINA

Acclaimed South Australian theatre company, Windmill Theatre Co, today commenced a three-week season of its international award-winning production Grug in Mainland China.

The tour, which opens today in Chengdu, includes 22 performances over 11 days and will reach approximately 4,400 children and families over a three-week period. Following Chengdu, Grug will travel to Changde and Zhengzhou in China's Henan province. The program also includes a series of post-performance workshops based on Windmill's interactive arts education program.

Since establishing a strategic partnership with Shanghai's Vertical Productions in 2015, Windmill has performed to over 11,000 Chinese children and delivered 120 performances in six cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Kunshun.

Arts South Australia Executive Director Peter Louca said: 'This is an exciting development for Windmill Theatre. As well as building cultural ties and strengthening engagement between South Australia and China, this tour also helps reinforce the company's reputation as a producer of high quality, world class work.'

Windmill's Executive Producer Kaye Weeks said: 'Touring our work to China represents an export opportunity to expand our international footprint whilst also showcasing quality theatre made especially for children to an extensive and enthusiastic market. We're thrilled to share this unique and iconic Australian storybook character with Chinese children and their families. He's a little mega-star over there!'

Early childhood work, Grug and its sequel Grug and the Rainbow, have played to over 90,000 young people in 85 cities and towns worldwide since 2010, representing Windmill's most successful international export. The plays are based on the much-loved picture book character created by Ted Prior and feature an Australian team led by director Sam Haren, designer Jonathon Oxlade and composer DJ TR!P.

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

This Chinese tour marks the end of a highly successful year for Windmill. Grug and the Rainbow spent six months on the road touring Canada, the US and Australia, including a successful season on New York's 42nd Street. The show also enjoyed a successful SA regional tour, which included 350 complimentary tickets for children from disadvantaged schools, supported by Windmill's 'Free Seats' program and generous philanthropic partners.

Grug will play at Marphy's Play House in Chengdu from 23 to 26 November, You Art Centre in Changde from 1 to 3 December andLittle Dreamer Theatre in Zhengzhou from 7 to 10 December 2017.

Following his tour of China, Grug will take a well-earned rest over Christmas before a return season of Grug and the Rainbow at Adelaide's Space Theatre from 10 - 22 April next year.

GRUG CREDITS

Director Sam Haren
Designer Jonathon Oxlade
Composer
DJ TR!P
Performers Nathan O'Keefe, Ellen Steele and Lucas Stibbard

ABOUT WINDMILL THEATRE CO

Founded in Adelaide in 2002, Windmill Theatre Co is a leading producer of quality theatrical and screen work for children, teens and families.

Over the last 15 years it has entertained more than 650,000 young people, performing more than 56 works, including 27 new commissioned works, and 55 regional, national and international tours taking in 193 cities across 27 countries in this time. The company has won scores of awards including six national Helpmann Awards, a Sydney Theatre Award, five SA Ruby Awards, three Business SA Export Awards and the 2012 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award for Excellence - the first such awarded to a youth theatre company in Australia.

In 2016 Windmill released its first feature film, Girl Asleep, which immediately became a runaway success, winning Best Film at the Australian Film Critics Association Awards, The Age Critics Prize for Best Australian Feature Film at the Melbourne International Film Festival, Best Work at the SA Screen Awards, and the Foxtel Movies Audience Award for Most Popular Feature at the Adelaide Film Festival. The film also stormed festivals internationally, winning both the Grand Jury Prize and Futurewave Award at the Seattle Film Festival and was nominated for six AACTA Awards, taking home the award for Best Costume Design.

Alongside the creation of new work, Windmill also delivers a groundbreaking Arts Education program, which encompasses free education workshops for students, structured interactive programs that provide opportunities for schools and communities to co-create professional work with artists, digital educational resources for teachers, and an acclaimed access program where up to 15% of tickets are made available at no cost annually to disadvantaged community groups and schools in SA.

In August 2017 Windmill announced the launch of Windmill Pictures, a new arm of the company dedicated to developing screen projects from its live theatre repertoire, with pre-production set to start on a new feature film School Dance in late 2018.



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