Barking Gecko History

2008 - Barking Gecko collaborates again with Zeal Theatre to present Australia vs South Africa for the Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF). South African comedy duo Ellis Pearson & Bheki Mkwhane, star alongside Sam Longley and Craig Williams. Skylab opens in Esperance, followed by a Perth season as part of UNIMA. Run Kitty Run is remounted for the Pilbarra Festival. Improvilicious is reinvented with a new twist, and Gogo Fish by Damon Lockwood will finish off the year with a regional tour.

2007 - The Lost Girl by Melissa Cantwell is created for the PIAF and Run Kitty Run is premiered with spectacular costumes. The Buzz tours for its sixth and final year and The Troll From The Bowl returns, by popular demand. We end the year with Improvilicious, a collaboration with The Big Hoo-Haa! conceived by Sam Longely and Damon Lockwood.

2006 - The Feather Surfers, written and directed by Grahame Gavin, is presented for the Perth International Arts Festival, his last production as Artistic Director for the Company. Hidden Dragons takes part in the 2006 Vancouver International Children's Festival. Jeremy Rice joins as new Artistic Director and directs Trains of Thought written by Shirley Van Sanden and The Troll from the Bowl by Justin Cheek. Barking Gecko returns to the newly refurbished Subiaco Arts Centre.

2005 - Crabbing at High Tide is performed at the South Perth foreshore for the PIAF, with record attendances. Hidden Dragons enjoyed a sell-out tour to the Sydney Opera House, and also performed at The Victorian Arts Centre and QUT Gardens Theatre in Brisbane. Barking Gecko's "home" at Subiaco is temporarily closed for refurbishment and the Geckos head north for the winter to reside at the Scarborough Community Centre.

2004 - His Majesty's New Clothes opens the sesquicentennial celebrations of His Majesty's Theatre, and then tours nationally through 4 states. Hidden Dragons by Shirley Van Sanden plays the PIAF, and is nominated in the WA Equity Guild Awards for 'Best Production'. The Chung Wah Association of WA receives the 2004 WA State Arts Sponsorship Scheme Community Investment Award for their partnership on the production. The Stones enjoyed a successful remount, and Craig Williams performs his 2000th show with us. "Crabbing at High Tide" is developed in Broome, with sell-out performances throughout the Shinju Matsuri Festival.

2003 - Barking Gecko hosted a production of Zeal Theatre's The Stones. (Craig Williams and Sam Longley were each nominated for 'Best Actor' at the Equity Guild Awards for their performances). Director Toyoko Nishida and Composer Yoko Sato from Theatre Seigei (Japan) worked with us to create The Cat Who Ran for the PIAF. We toured to 5 states - The Cat Who Ran to the Come Out Festival in Adelaide, The Rodeo Kid to Queensland and the Northern Territory, and Aesop and His Fables to Victoria.

2002 - Sbo Ndaba from Phenduka Dance Theatre (South Africa) traveled to Perth to choreograph Sarena's Song for the PIAF. Barking Gecko presented The Buzz for the first time - a project fully sponsored by the Insurance Commission of WA, which would have a six year run. We also began the Leonora Theatre Project, fully sponsored by Sons of Gwalia Ltd.

2001 - Barking Gecko celebrated its 10th year since incorporation. Artistic Director Grahame Gavin traveled to Mexico to direct a Spanish version of 'Frog Opera' with a Mexican cast. The Loudmouth script-writing project for young people was introduced.

2000 - Barking Gecko toured Frog Opera to Los Angeles, and then again to Canada and the USA. Our PIAF show Starlight Starbright toured to Singapore. Danish director Peter Holst directed Tiger Tango. Dolphin Talk was remounted, 10 years after its first major tour.

1999 - Grahame Gavin celebrated his 10th year as Artistic Director. Frog Opera toured to Singapore, and Silverfish toured to Korea.

1998 - Frog Opera was created for the Festival of Perth.

1997 - The Emperor's New Clothes is performed for the Perth Festival. Gecko Bytes (drama workshops for kids) was born. Silverfish is created for the AWESOME Festival.

1996 - Barking Gecko received the ASSITEJ Honorary Presidents Award for 'Outstanding Services in the Sphere of Children's and Youngsters Theatre between 1993 and 1996. Barking Gecko established the hugely successful AWESOME - Perth International Children's Festival

1995 - The Trilogy of animal plays (Dolphin Talk, Visiting The Relatives, and Ivory Circle) toured nationally, and to four international festivals in North America, where we opened the ASSITEJ (International Children's Theatre Association) conference in Seattle. While away on tour, Craig Williams was made a WA Citizen of the Year (Youth Arts category), for achievement in theatre. He had also just performed his 1000th performance for Barking Gecko.

1994 - Under the new name 'Barking Gecko Theatre Company', we presented for the first time at the Festival of Perth (with Visiting The Relatives and Ivory Circle)

1993 - We established an aboriginal company wing, which would eventually become Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre. We traveled to Thailand, to research and devise a play about elephants, Ivory Circle. At the end of the year, the name 'Barking Gecko' was hatched!

1992 - The company travels to Borneo to research and devise a play about Orangutans, Visiting The Relatives.

1991 - We were officially registered as an Australian Public Company. Independence! Prior to this we had functioned as the youth-touring arm of the WA Theatre Company, known as 'Acting Out'. Grahame Gavin became Artistic Director in 1989, and we were invited to perform at the Kagoshima Centenary in Japan. In 1990 we toured nationally for the first time, and received the Swan Gold Award for Best Theatre Development. By 1991 we were embarking on our first international tour (three festivals in Canada & the USA) with the play Dolphin Talk.