Theatre Companies

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (15:41): My question is to the Minister for the Arts. Minister, how are some of our premier theatre companies establishing themselves outside South Australia?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (15:42): I thank the member for Elder for her question and her interest in our arts companies here in South Australia. While the Fringe and Festival captivated local audiences, our two local premier theatre companies—the State Theatre Company of South Australia and Windmill Theatre for Kids—were making waves internationally, debuting their interpretation of Pinocchio at New York's oldest theatre, the New Victory Theatre.

The season ran from 12 to 22 March, and I am pleased to inform the house that, after selling 70 per cent of seats prior to their opening, the season was a sell-out. We know that this joint production of State Theatre and Windmill has received great accolades here in Australia, scooping the pool at the 2014 Helpmann Awards, but it is a huge achievement to not only compete with some of the world's best theatre productions in New York but to, in fact, sell out. The performance also received rave reviews from some of the world's most renowned theatre reviewers, including TheNew York Times critic Andy Webster who wrote, and I quote:

This family-friendly show, from the Windmill Theatre and the State Theatre Company of South Australia, manifests robust energy, visual flair and an aversion to modern-day phoniness.

But it isn't just the famous wooden puppet bringing success for these two companies. Windmill's adaption of the much-loved children's books Grug has also been a hit internationally with the production performed last month at the—and I am careful of the pronunciation here—Shat Tin Town Hall in Hong Kong. The season saw eight performances, with four of the shows incorporating Cantonese interpretation. While I am not sure how the tale of Grug translates into the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong, I am pleased to inform the house that this fantastic production also was a sell-out.

The State Theatre Company is looking to break into a new international market, going into creative development for a coproduction with UK's Frantic Assembly this month which, with all things going well, will lead to a production and a UK season in 2016. State Theatre is also busy with productions touring nationally, including:

Masquerade, which opened at the Sydney Festival;

their fantastic cabaret piece Little Bird, which showed at the Arts Centre in Melbourne during January; and

their education show This Is Where We Live, coproduced with HotHouse Theatre, which opened in Albury-Wodonga at the end of April.

Every South Australian should be proud of the successes of our nationally and internationally-renowned theatre companies. I would like to thank the actors, directors and staff for their hard work, producing some of the best global theatre right here in our state.