New Owner to visit Melbourne after world tour – Darebin Arts Centre, 9 – 10 July

A heartfelt tale seen through the eyes of one very cute puppy, NEW OWNER, from theatre favourites The Last Great Hunt, will premiere at Darebin Arts Centre from 9 – 10 July.

From the award-winning team Arielle Gray (It’s Dark Outside, Cloudstreet) and Tim Watts (creator of The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer), NEW OWNER uses puppetry, animation and a beautiful soundtrack with original music by Rachael Dease to follow the story of Bart, forced to fend for himself following (spoiler alert) the death of his elderly owner Mabel.

This stunningly-visual tale of love, loss and overcoming adversity has toured the world since 2016, when it premiered at the Awesome Festival for Bright Young Things.

NEW OWNER, made especially for all ages, is the latest theatrical experience from acclaimed Western Australian theatre makers The Last Great Hunt to become a hit overseas in the USA, Canada, Japan and China. International touring is regular business for the tight-knit collective of theatre makers, who over the last few years have also performed in places like Korea, Scotland, Germany, Slovenia, the UAE, and closer to home with regional and national tours of BRUCE, FAG/STAG, IT’S DARK OUTSIDE and THE ADVENTURES OF ALVIN SPUTNIK: DEEP SEA EXPLORER.

“The first spark for NEW OWNER came when touring another of our shows, IT’S DARK OUTSIDE,” says Arielle Gray, who created both shows with her long-time collaborator, Tim Watts.

“There is a scene in IT’S DARK OUTSIDE where a white fluffy dog reunites with his owner. No matter where in the world the show is performed the scene always greatly affects the audience, they absolutely fall in love with the dog, and it made us want to explore that character more.”

“We started thinking more deeply about dogs and their lives. We began thinking about how when dogs are adopted a new owner will never know the adventures or experiences that dog has been through before they came into their lives.”

“In NEW OWNER, we explore the myriad of relationships in the life of a dog and how his experiences change him. We follow him during his adventures, seeing what he sees from his perspective. This is the first show we have made with younger audiences in mind, so it’s very exciting, but we have made sure that there is something for everyone!” she added.

Nominated for Best Presentation for Children at the 2017 Helpmann Awards (Australia).

Winner of 2019 Dora Award in the division of Theatre For Young Audiences – Outstanding Production (Canada).

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MORE INFORMATION: www.thelastgreathunt.com/new-owner
The Last Great Hunt and Darebin Arts Speakeasy presents
NEW OWNER
Darebin Arts Centre
Fri 9 July 10am & 2pm and Sat 10 July 2pm
All tickets $22. Visit http://www.darebinarts.com.au/

NEW OWNER is recommended for ages 7+ due to scenes of sadness and loss that may be upsetting for children. This show is suitable for people with hearing impairments and/or EALD.