The Heeler family is stepping off the screen and onto the stage as Bluey’s Big Play arrives at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey on June 16 and 17. This is no mere live-action reenactment; it is an original theatrical experience featuring an original story by series creator Joe Brumm and a fresh score by composer Joff Bush.
In this approximately 50-minute production, Bluey and Bingo pull out all their clever games to get Dad off his bean bag for some “for real life” fun. The show brings the beloved characters to life through vividly crafted puppets and visible puppeteers, creating a unique texture that bridges the gap between the digital world and the live stage. From the high-energy chaos of Keepy Uppy and Chattermax to the quiet, emotional teachable moments that have made the series a hit with parents worldwide, the play promises to capture the show’s signature heart.
We sat down with director Rosemary Myers to discuss the creative hurdles of translating the show’s intimate aesthetic to massive auditoriums. Myers shares insights into the electric energy of live audiences, the artistry behind the puppetry and the collaboration with the original architects of the Bluey universe.
Bluey has this incredible, intimate aesthetic on television that relies heavily on subtle facial expressions and timing. When you were tasked with bringing the Heeler family into massive live theater venues, what was the biggest creative hurdle in ensuring that quiet, heartwarming television magic didn’t get lost in a large auditorium?
Bluey is full of beautiful reflective, nuanced moments and amazing emotional truth but it’s equally full of dynamic physical fun. As Joe Brumm, the creator of Bluey, wrote the play script we already had the balance of this right in the play story but translating this spectrum of dynamic from a cartoon to the stage was full of challenges and because the world of Bluey is so unique we also needed to be very true to that specificity.
We spent a lot of time prototyping the puppets to get the balance of expression and physical manoeuvrability right. Onstage you are also dealing with real time (no editing), so our cast are very fit and operate like a well-oiled machine to allow them to keep the pace up and really land the dynamic. In the end though we also leant into the live nature of theatre. The energy of a huge audience of who are very excited to be in the room with these beloved characters is pretty electric.
The puppetry in Bluey’s Big Play brings a completely different texture to the characters we know so well. Could you share a bit about the design collaboration with Jonathon Oxlade and the choice to use visible puppeteers? How does seeing the human element behind the Heelers change the dynamic for the audience?
Jonathan and I have made quite a few puppet shows together but these puppets are the largest puppets we have created. In all our live shows we have visible puppeteers and we know that if we get the balance right the audience naturally suspend their imaginations and don’t see the puppeteers. Bluey has a lot of artistry, and we were really the first team to translate the show from a cartoon to a new medium (theatre), so we really wanted to bring out theatrical artistry to the fore so, as well as getting a great Bluey story, you are also getting a good theatre experience as well.
One of the reasons Bluey is a global phenomenon is that it’s just as much for the parents as it is for the kids — dealing with burnout, sibling dynamics and growing up. How does the stage show balance the high-energy games like Keepy Uppy for the kids with those emotional, tear-jerking beats that Bluey is famous for delivering to adults?
I think Joe brilliantly lands that balance in the stage show. I know when he writes he wants the learnings in the story to be for both the young characters as well as the adults. Even with children aged from 3 and 8 years there is a huge difference in what speaks to them in terms of life experiences and perspectives and what will keep them engaged throughout the show. The show moves quite fast and has lots of interaction as well as lots of heart. Bluey is about a family and as families are made up of all ages there really is something for everyone.
This show features an original story by series creator Joe Brumm and a brand-new score by Joff Bush. What was the collaborative process like working alongside the architects of the Bluey universe to ensure this felt like a canonical, necessary extension of the TV show rather than just a live-action replay of favourite episodes?
It was an enormous privilege and responsibility to bring this show to the stage. Joe wrote the play and we worked closely with Charlie and Sam from Ludo to ensure the elements of the stage show lived up to the Bluey brand. When you make TV you don’t get to see the audience watching it and I remember Joe being really moved to sit in a room with a large audience and see what this amazing world he had created meant to its audience. After the premiere season we worked with Joe to add a lot more audience interaction into the script as that is something he really enjoyed seeing and it’s something you can’t do on TV. Joff is an amazing talent and a real dynamo. Some of my favourite moments of making the show were sitting in a hotel room late into the night and Joff just playing the piano along to video of scenes we had rehearsed that day – absolute gold.
You’ve toured this production all over the world, from Australia to the UK, and now all across North America. Theater etiquette goes out the window in the best way possible during a children’s show. What is it like from a director’s standpoint to witness the raw, unfiltered crowd reactions when Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli first walk out on stage?
Bluey is such a special show. Those reactions are pure magic, and you never get tired of them. I really love to sit in the audience and be part of that joy. The actors feel like rock stars when they walk onto the stage. The audience bring their plush toys and hold them up to the stage, or the whole family dresses up. It’s an amazing and euphoric moment of community and a tribute to this incredible creation of Bluey and what it represents.
Bluey’s Big Play, 6 pm Tuesday, June 16 and 3 pm Wednesday, June 17 at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. For tickets and more information, click here.
