Premiere of Larrikin Puppets’ Hijabi Girl the Musical
by Hazel Edwards OAM
An overnight success after ten years!
The CBCA Book Week theme of ‘Dreaming with eyes open’, is especially relevant to this puppet production. If a dream is an aspiration, all the co-creators and puppet cast were dreamers and even some of the songs are relevant too.
18 months ago, SCBWI featured Serena Geddes, Ozge Alkan and Hazel Edwards’ challenges in getting the first book ‘Hijabi Girl’ published. It was also Ozge’s first book which Hazel helped mentor and now Ozge is mentoring others.
Then we had more Pandemic Lockdowns which tested the resilience of Larrikin Puppeteers' musical ‘Hijabi Girl’ project but at last the Premiere will be performed at Kingston Butterbox Theatre precinct in Logan, Brisbane on August 23rd and 24th during Children’s Book Week.
The challenges haven’t stopped. The puppeteers individually got Covid. Now recovered. The Logan area was flooded and so was the theatre precinct. Rehearsal space curtailed. Postponements. Publishing deliveries difficult due to Pandemic restrictions internationally.
Schools are now wary of excursions due to infections and cash flow issues. Usually Larrikin Puppeteers work with pre schools and kindergartens but Hijabi Girl is aimed at lower primary( 5-9 year olds) .
Good things have happened too. I couldn’t believe the romantic photo of the tented bookfair Qatar Ramadan Bookfair where our little 'Hijabi Girl’ was the only Australian children’s book on sale. A fan of Hazel Edwards’ ‘Writing a Non Boring Family History’ workshops, touring the Middle East, serendipitously saw and bought the book and sent Hazel the photo. Islamic publisher Ali-Gator sold UK rights. The Deadly Mothers’ from the NT girls footy team ‘The Wanderers ‘ contacted Hazel as keen on reading about girls starting footy teams and wanted to write about their own, so Hazel gave some writing tips. Ozge started speaking at the newly emerging Muslim/Islamic children literature groups and podcasts. Our book is set in a mainstream primary school but Melek wants to start a girls’ footy team. And soccer playing Zac with Rattus Rattus his Reading Rat, isn't keen. Teachers will LOVE this story as MISS is a zany educator in giant red glasses. Not to forget the Aussie Rules footy puppet nor the Rice Roll Puppet. Fun.
Maybe Larrikin Puppets would be a good subject for an Australia Story documentary? The resilience of arts creators during a Pandemic and beyond.
Hazel Edwards will attend the premiere performance (during BOOK WEEK - Tuesday 23 August, 10:30am at Kingston Butterbox Theatre). She'll be there to answer questions and sign autographs. If you know any teachers, principals, librarians and those who know how to arrange bus trips for Prep to Grade 4 students to attend, please share this.
Direct link to Larrikin Puppets page to Book for Premiere.
https://www.hazeledwards.com/hijabi-girl.html regularly updated resources and news