Overview
When Winnie-the-Pooh moseyed into a slasher movie in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, the film endeavoured to prove that there's room in the pop-culture honeypot for multiple takes on AA Milne's beloved bear. More horror flicks are coming, because of course they are. But, embracing the usually cuddly figure's sweet and innocent side, so is a supremely nostalgic, family-friendly stage musical from Disney.
Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation debuted back in 2021 Off-Broadway, then took the Hundred Acre Wood and its famous felt residents to Chicago, back to New York, on a tour of the US and to London. The next stop on the Mouse House-created show's itinerary: Australia, starting this winter, and playing capital cities and regional towns alike.
Hailing from American Australian producer, writer and director Jonathan Rockefeller, Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation brings Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl and Tigger to life with puppets — life-sized versions, which look as cuddly and fuzzy as anthropomorphic stuffed toys should. Also joining them is Christopher Robin, in a production that brings together a heap of songs from past Winnie-the-Pooh movies.
"The music, the spectacular life-size puppets and the charming performances are the perfect way to introduce (or re-introduce) audiences to live theatre, and this is a must-see show for Winnie-the-Pooh fans," said Rockefeller, announcing the show's Australian run.
"We are excited to bring the Hundred Acre Wood to Australia so that audiences of all ages can join us for this heartwarming production."
Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation will play Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, and also has dates booked in everywhere from Dandenong and Bunbury to Launceston and Geelong.
Again, this is a firmly all-ages affair, so expect plenty of young Winnie-the-Pooh devotees in attendance. For those keen to see a childhood favourite in a new format, Australia's stages have been delivering blasts from the pasts with frequency over the past few years, spanning Frozen the Musical, Shrek the Musical, Cinderella, Mary Poppins and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast musical in Sydney, just to name a few.
WINNIE THE POOH: THE NEW STAGE ADAPTATION AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2023 DATES:
July 7 — Drum Theatre, Dandenong
July 12–16 — Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
July 20-23 — Sydney Opera House, Sydney
July 26–27 — Princess Theatre, Launceston
August 3–6 — Theatre Royal, Hobart
August 9–10 — Hopgood Theatre, Noarlunga
August 16–20 — Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide
August 23–24 — Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah
August 25–26 — Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, Bunbury
August 29–September 3 — Regal Theatre, Perth
September 7–9 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra
September 14–17 — Riverside Theatre Parramatta, Parramatta
September 21–25 — Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
September 27–28 — Geelong Arts Centre, Geelong
September 30–October 1 — Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury
Winnie the Pooh: The New Stage Adaptation tours Australia from July — for more information, and for tickets from Thursday, June 15, head to the production's website.