THE fantastical tale of Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s bestselling book The 52-Storey Treehouse will bring ninja snails, a rocket-powered carrot launcher and more to Heath Ledger Theatre during the school holidays.
Presented by Sydney-based company CDP, the stage adaptation of the next book in the much-loved children’s series follows the antics of characters Andy and Terry as they solve the mystery of Mr Big Nose’s disappearance.
Victorian College of the Arts graduate Alex Duncan plays the role of Andy and said although he did not know much about the Treehouse series before joining the cast, he was certainly full bottle on the books now.
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READ NOW“I didn’t know much about the Treehouse books but I was a fan of Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton because I loved their Just books when I was younger,” the 27-year-old said.
“I’ve now read them all and love their style of humour and the way the illustrations are part of the story.”
Duncan said the books were magical and unreal in a theatrical way, lending perfectly to a stage adaptation for audiences six years and older.
“They are essentially about imagination and that idea when you’re a kid that you can make up anything,” he said.
“Our set is made up of one wooden box that we open up and take things out.
“There are lots of cool surprises but it’s rather simple as well.”
Duncan said he enjoyed playing Andy, who was a bit of a smart aleck, like himself, particularly when he was younger.
“I used to get in a lot of trouble for it, so I do love that aspect of Andy, who thinks he’s a little bit smarter than everybody else but he’s actually not,” he said.
“He bounds into things with unstoppable enthusiasm and isn’t always right, but he believes he’s right.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: The 52-Storey Treehouse
Where: Heath Ledger Theatre
When: July 5 to 14
Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au