Chris White has always dreamed of performing in America, and thanks to Bluey’s Big Play — The Stage Version, he’s doing just that. And he’s hyped.
“I’ve been with Bluey almost since it started in 2021. We were one of the first shows touring after the pandemic,” says White, who hails from Brisbane, Australia, the city where Bluey is set. “We have toured Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., and Canada.”
White has been acting professionally for the past 15 years, and he’s found that family audiences are the “best,” he says. “I have always loved working with children and families.”
Today, Bluey, the Emmy Award winning TV series, is the “hottest thing in the world for kids,” he adds, noting that Bluey’s Big Play is a theatrical adaptation of the show. “It’s good to be part of something so huge and that spreads joy around the world.”
All the gang — Bluey, Bingo, Mum (Chilli), and Dad (Bandit) — will appear live on stage as they start on a fun adventure. In the show, Dad just wants a quiet afternoon, but Bluey and Bingo have something else on their minds.
“Dad is always on the phone, so the kids take it and they play games,” White says, noting the kids want Dad to get up and play with them. “The key ingredient is family and how important it is. It’s a real heartfelt message.”
In the show, playing Altria Theater July 21 and 22 at 6 p.m., White plays Bandit and Bandit’s neighbor Pat. “Bandit is the classic Aussie dad. He’s a bit cheeky, but most of all, he loves his family,” White says.
The Heart Behind Bandit
In doing Bluey shows, White has had the opportunity to learn puppetry. “The puppets take two people to control,” he says. “I’ve worked hard to learn puppetry in the past two years.”
All the actors use their bodies as a storytelling component of the puppetry. “Basically, we are using human movement to tell the story,” he says.
The show can be physically demanding, he adds.
“But, we get our energy from what we get back from the families,” he says. “The audience makes it worth the effort every time.”
For more information and tickets, visit altriatheater.com/events/detail/blueys-big-play-1
