Worry Warts
Morris Gleitzman's
Adapted by Eva Di Cesare, Tim McGarry and Sandra Eldridge
Directed by Camilla Ah Kin
Designed by Robert Cousins
Lighting Design by Martin Kinnane
Sound Design by Stahy
Performed by
Tony Harvey, Brendon McDonall, Eva Di Cesare,
Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry
Stage Managed by Sean Pardy
The Story
Worry Warts tells the story of 11 year old Keith Shipley and his attempts to cheer up his "misery guts" parents.
Keith paints his parents’ car "hot sunflower and tropical parrot" to cheer them up. Then he discovers what's really making his parents miserable - their lack of money. So Keith decides to take matters into his own hands.
With the help of his best friend Tracy, Keith learns that there's money to be made out in the opal fields in central Australia. Keith runs away to make a fortune for his parents. Along the way he meets a colourful cast of characters. One of them, Curly, from the General Store, strikes a deal with Keith; Curly will give him use of his opal mine for 24 hours if Keith paints Curly's store. Keith is desperate to find opals, so with Tracy following him, together they go down Curly's mine. In the darkened gloom of the dangerous opal mine Keith finally understands that there is only so much he can do about his parents’ happiness and that sometimes change is inevitable.
Monkey Baa developed one of my books into a cracker of a play, and as I travel around the country more than two years later, I'm still meeting kids in far flung areas for whom it was the theatrical experience of their lives. In many cases it was the only theatrical experience of their lives.
That's how important Monkey Baa's work is. They turn dollars into something priceless - kids whose cultural horizons are as broad as the ones outside their back doors.
MORRIS GLEITZMAN
…and what the critics have said…
One of the greatest strengths of this production is its highly successful theatrical adaptation of Morris Gleitzman’s novel. The stunning lighting effect…that enveloped the audience with kaleidoscopic swirls of opal-rich colours stunned the school children audience into wide-eyed stares of pleasure and created a kind of myriad of hope.
Sarah Austin – Lowdown Magazine
June 2003
The Tour
Worry Warts travelled to 30 theatres around Australia in 2003 playing to an estimated 20,000 young people. Some people travelled over three hours to see the show. Worry Warts tour to towns such as Port Hedland, Cairns, Karratha, Margaret River, Carnarvon, Merredin, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Launceston, Wagga, Griffith, Shepparton, Mount Isa, Rockhampton and ended at Glen Street Theatre.
Feedback
We have been talking about the play since we saw it! I really liked the lighting and the sound effects-I thought that it was great!
Teegan - Year 7 Pegs Creek PS
The play was very good!!!
Skye - Karratha WA
Your show was very entertaining to watch! My teacher thinks that over 26 years it's the best play she's ever seen!
Brodie - Tombray PS
I really liked the show. It's spectacularly excellent because of the funniness. Thanks for bringing my imagination back to life.
Peter - Tombray PS
Order Worry Warts by Morris Gleitzman at Gleebooks Children's Bookshop online.
photos: Heidrun Lohr