Joy in playing Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out Live! director and writer Richard Lewis likens the stage show's titular character as the Taylor Swift for children.
West Leederville-raised, WA Academy of Performing Arts musical theatre graduate Zoe Crisp absolutely agrees, having taken on the role in the Australian production currently touring the nation.
'She truly is a celebrity for kids,' the 25-year-old, Melbourne-based performer says.
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'It's such a joy playing Peppa. She's outspoken and she's got a bit of attitude on her, which I think is quite reflective of that age of being four years old and finding your voice. It's quite fun being able to play a four-year-old to an audience full of four-year-olds.'
Having grown up watching Peppa Pig herself with her surf-loving twin brother Harry, Crisp says they easily connected with Peppa and George's sibling relationship. Zoe Crisp. Credit: Supplied
'My brother was quite a shy child, and I was very outspoken,' Crisp, who attended John Curtin College of the Arts, explains.
'I think it's just so relatable for everyone. It focuses on everyday family life, and I think parents can relate to it, children can relate to it, it doesn't matter where you're from. It's very simple, lovely storytelling.'
While the production does not include the youngest member joining the TV series' Peppa Pig family this year, which has been on our screens since 2004, it does feature exactly what it states in the show's title — a fun day out. Zoe Crisp as Peppa and Jacqui Dwyer as George. Credit: Supplied
'We go to the zoo, we go to the beach, we see all sorts of animals, there's a dancing scarecrow and we jump in some puddles,' Crisp says.
'It's very interactive and essentially like watching an episode of the TV show where the kids go and do an activity, and then we bring the audience along with us.'
The beloved characters are brought to life on stage through the art of puppetry, where the Pig family are moved around on wheels in front of their hidden puppeteers, including Crisp as Peppa.
A great amount of physicality and technique is required as the puppeteers control their mouths while talking, Crisp spending a lot of time perfecting Peppa's voice. Zoe Crisp as Peppa and Jacqui Dwyer as George. Credit: Supplied
'It's very high pitched because she's four years old, so there's lots of warming up, and we're essentially speak singing the whole show, because kids do kind of sing while they're speaking,' she says.
'It's a very singsongy voice. I recorded myself a lot leading up to the production, just to double-check I was sounding like the TV show.'
Crisp landed the role after working on her first puppetry job last year, puppeteering baby dinosaurs in Universal Studios' Jurassic World: The Exhibition, before jumping into the less family-friendly musical, Avenue Q.
'It was all hand puppets, and the show ran for about a month, so I got a pretty good sense of puppeteering by the end,' she adds.
Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out Live! is at The Regal Theatre, May 23 to 25. Tickets at premier.ticketek.com.au.

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