march-2012

GO GUIDE
Dragons Gronckle and Nadder with
Sarah McCreanor, Riley Miner, head
of DreamWorks Animation Jeffrey
Katzenberg, Gemma Nguyen and
Rarmian Newton
duties: Melburnian Rarmian, who starred
in Billy Elliot the Musical and graduated
from high school three days before
rehearsals began, and US actor Riley Miner
will play Hiccup; Queenslander Sarah
and six-time taekwondo world champion
American Gemma Nguyen will play the
feisty Astrid.
For anyone who’s seen the animated
fi lm, it’s hard to imagine how some scenes
— of dragons swooping over oceans and
spiralling to earth, breathing fi re and
smoke — can be re-created in a stage show.
“It’s seriously going to be the world’s most
ambitious show, using the most cuttingedge
technology,” says Rarmian.
But for all the technical wizardry, it
will be the dragons that will amaze, and
each of them has been built in a workshop
in Melbourne. Global Creatures is the
company behind the incredibly successful
Walking With Dinosaurs show. One person
to see that show was head of DreamWorks
Animation, Jeff rey Katzenberg. “At the time,
we were fairly far into making How to Train
Your Dragon,” he says. And just as Global
Creatures were wondering what production
would showcase their technology next,
Katzenberg came over for a visit.
According to creature designer Sonny
Tilders, each of the 24 dragons appearing on
stage takes about three months and 25 people
to build. The largest, Red Death, has a 12m-high
head and a tail that stretches for 20m.
044
All the dragons use the most
cutting-edge technology —
animatronics that allow it to blink,
cause muscles to move under
the skin when it fl aps its wing, and
let it smile.
Sarah and Rarmian can’t wait
until the show premieres in
Melbourne this month.
“Not only are the audience
going to be watching the show,
they get to be part of it too,”
says Sarah. “Every aspect of the
show is going to be a spectacle.”
Adds Rarmian: “It really is
groundbreaking theatre.”
TAKE ME THERE
2–11 MARCH,
Hisense Arena,
Melbourne
16–25 MARCH,
All Phones Arena, Sydney
28 MARCH–1 APRIL,
Brisbane Entertainment
Centre
For tickets, tel: 132 849
or go to ticketek.com.au
Jetstar has great low fares to
Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Visit Jetstar.com to book.