Bluey’s Big Play opens at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco ready to bring laughter and adventure to Perth fans

Bluey and her family have arrived in Perth ready for adventure and hijinks as Bluey’s Big Play opened at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco on Wednesday.

The fun-filled stage show has been coming alive in theatres across Australia following a successful global tour, and now it’s Perth fans’ turn to witness the beloved TV show before their very eyes.

Bluey, her sister Bingo, mum Chilli and dad Bandit are brought to life as giant puppets as they embark on an adventure.

When Bandit feels like a little bit of afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans, and the audience is encouraged to join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off his bean bag.

Puppeteer Julia Lindberg, who plays Bluey and has been involved with the show since 2023, said it was special to return to Perth after studying at WAAPA a decade ago.

“It’s always fun to be back in Australia and do it for the Australian audience. They just really get the humour and they just really have a really lovely relationship to the show,” she said.

“It’s so much fun, and I love seeing the kids play in the aisles and in front of the stage.”

Lindberg said families who haven’t seen the theatre version, which is now available on ABC iView, should get ready for “a lot of hijinks and a lot of fun throwbacks to episodes”.

“There’s definitely some familiar faces and characters that make an appearance, but it’s an original story, and at the centre, it’s a really heartfelt story about sisters and what it means to be a good big sister, especially from Bluey’s perspective,” she said.

Lindberg said it takes multiple cast members to operate each puppet, and they lip sync to a soundtrack performed by original voice actors such as Melanie Zanetti as Mum and David McCormack as Dad.

“One of the best compliments is when fans say, ‘I didn’t even look at you’,” she said.

“So we are very visible on stage, but if we do our job correctly, they won’t even see us, even though we’re wearing bright green jumpsuits. But it’s really fun to still be expressive on stage ourselves and sort of extend the character of Bluey into our own bodies.”

Lindberg, who is originally from Sweden, said Bluey resonated with people around the globe because the heartwarming and hilarious stories are relatable to so many families.

“It’s written with a lot of heart,” she said.

“My family, they are very far removed from anything Bluey, living on the other side of the world, but even there, it’s still so relatable, because I think a parental and family experience, there’s so many universal themes and moments and games, and I think that’s why it’s become really huge.

“It takes itself seriously, but still has a lot of fun and a lot of cheeky moments and humour.”

Bluey’s Big Play is showing at the Regal Theatre now until March 1, before heading down to Mandurah on March 4 and Bunbury on March 6 and 7.

The production will then head north to fans in Geraldton on March 11 and Karratha on March 14 and 15.