Tell us a little bit about The Glow Show! What is it and how does it work?
The Glow Show creates children’s theatre shows using a mash-up of puppetry, science, music, and voice-acting...and, all of our shows are 100% glow-in-the-dark! Our whole team are incredibly passionate about bringing these magical, puppet-filled performances to tamariki across Aotearoa and we absolutely can't wait for audiences to see Badjelly the Witch, Glow Show style!
What was the process like to get the stage rights for Badjelly the Witch?
We gained the rights through Playmarket, who had to get permission from Spike Milligan’s Estate - they showed them what The Glow Show is all about and proved that we would do right by this iconic story. We tweaked the script a little bit to work for the puppetry element of the show, so we had to get specific permission for that as well. It’s a real honour to have the opportunity to take this special show and story through the country!
Why did you choose this story to be The Glow Show’s next project?
I’ve worked on Badjelly the Witch on three different occasions with various theatre projects and companies, and always thought it would be the perfect story for The Glow Show! All the characters will look amazing in the theatre, and the integrity of the book’s original drawings translated to the stage action is very authentic. It’s literally going to be like watching an animated TV series in real life! And with black light puppetry, you can do a lot of visual tricks, which is something that audiences love so much.
And why now?
We’re in a very unusual landscape at the moment, one where you have to find new, creative ways to make things happen. It’s an exceptionally difficult time out there and it just happens that we’re doing a very iconic, much-loved, nostalgic show that we hope will bring people a little bit of joy. The show is aimed at children ages six and above, but no doubt parents, grandparents, and young adults will enjoy it just as much.
All the characters from the story will be on stage as glow-in-the-dark puppets! What is the process for making these puppets?
A wonderful illustrator called Alan Cochrane draws up the characters for all of our shows, including Badjelly. Our directors spent a long time with Alan to explain what we’d like the puppets to look like, what the creative vision for the show is, and what the physical movements for each character will need to be.
Then, I took the drawings and turned them into actual puppets. I use about 20 different materials to make them, including bamboo, foam, felt, and three layers of stitching. When we have real-life puppets in action, we work with Renee Te Pairi, a scenic artist who airbrushes them.
The whole process from start to finish takes several months! We’ve really developed our puppet-making over the last eight years of The Glow Show, so this year the scale is a lot larger and the quality is even higher.
Once the puppets are created, how are they brought to life on stage?
It’s all very well making puppets, but they’re nothing without puppeteers! Our puppeteers are incredibly talented people - they are voice artists, movers, singers, dancers and actors all in one. Sometimes they might be doing the movements for one puppet, while they are putting on the voice for another at the same time. Not to mention it’s all done entirely in the dark! Their mental aptitude is stunning.
What has been one of the highlights of working on Badjelly the Witch and The Glow Show?
It’s a real opportunity to proudly showcase New Zealand talent. Our team members and the artists, contractors, and agencies whom we work with are all based in Aotearoa. We’re a bit spread out across the country and although we often work in silos, it’s a special thing for everyone to come together with the same vision for the project.
After your performances at Q Theatre, what’s next for Badjelly the Witch Glow Show?
We can’t wait to take the show all across New Zealand! Q Theatre is our very first stop and will be followed by a tour of the North Island in July school holidays and the South Island later this year. Badjelly will be bringing her mischievous magic to a total of 30 venues and we couldn't be more excited!
Badjelly will be flying in on her broomstick to Q Theatre during the upcoming school holidays on 5 & 6 July. Click here to book your tickets!
