Barking Gecko Theatre Company

Barking Gecko Arts, is a Western Australian professional theatre company for children and families. Since September 2024 incorporating AWESOME Arts, as of April 2025^[update] the CEO is Ryan Taaffe artistic director and the artistic director is Sam Longley.

Barking Gecko Theatre

History

Acting Out was founded by artistic director John Saunders as a theatre company for children, touring schools and rural areas in WA.^[1]

Barking Gecko Theatre Company was established in Perth in 1989^[2] by the succeeding artistic director, Grahame Gavin, as an independent, not-for-profit company for young people and families.^[1] In 1996, AWESOME Arts was formed as a separate entity from Barking Gecko,^[3] and AWESOME Arts started presenting the annual AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things in Perth in the September school holidays each year.^[4][5]

The company has performed plays by award-winning playwright Suzie Miller, including Driving Into Walls (2012) and Onefivezeroseven (2014).^[6]

The company's most notable productions include Rabbits in 2015;^[7] Bambert's Book of Lost Stories in 2016;^[8] and House, first performed in 2021, and reprised in 2024.^[1]

On 24 September 2024 it was announced by the WA Minister for Arts and Culture David Templeman announced that Barking Gecko Theatre and AWESOME Arts combined as Barking Gecko Arts. Ryan Taaffe, CEO of Barking Gecko Theatre, was would lead as CEO of the new entity, while artistic director Sam Longley and festival director Jenny Simpson would support him in leading the two teams.^[3] As of April 2025^[update] all three hold their respective positions.^[9]

Description

Barking Gecko Theatre is a resident company at the State Theatre Centre of WA, performing in the Heath Ledger Theatre and Studio Underground. It also performs in school classrooms, halls, site-specific non-theatre venues and outdoor locations. The company tours productions across Australia, and has also toured to Canada, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mexico.

The company also delivers drama programs for children aged 4 to 18 across Perth, regional and remote WA.

Barking Gecko Theatre is a not-for-profit company governed by a board of directors. Receiving federal and state government arts funding, as well as corporate sponsorship and ticket revenue, the company has an annual turnover of more than $1.2 million^[when?] and employs more than 60 primarily Western Australian artists each year.^{[when?][citation needed]}

Artistic directors

• 1985?–1989: John Saunders (Acting Out)^[1]
• 1989–2006?: Grahame Gavin^[1]
• 2006–2010: Jeremy Rice
• 2010–2014: John Sheedy
• 2015–?: Matt Edgerton
• As of 2025^[update]: Sam Longley^[3]

Awards

2015

The Rabbits won several awards in 2015, including:

• Helpmann Award Winner – Best Presentation for Children^[7]
• Helpmann Award Winner – Best New Australian Work^[7]
• Helpmann Award Winner – Best Costume Design, Gabriela Tylesova^[7]
• Helpmann Award Winner – Best Original Score, Kate Miller-Heidke with Iain Grandage^[7]
• Performing Arts WA Award Winner – Best Production
• Performing Arts WA Award Winner – Best Lighting, Trent Suidgeest

2016

Bambert's Book of Lost Stories had a nomination and a win in the Helpmann Awards:^[8]

• Helpmann Award Winner – Best Presentation for Children
• Helpmann Award Nomination – Best New Australian Work

2017

• Performing Arts WA Award Winner – Best Supporting Actor, St John Cowcher for My Robot^{[citation needed]}