An Australian actor gets to portray a character he grew up reading about during a tour across North America.
Matt Crook, who hails from Adelaide in southern Australia, operates the puppet Grug in the children’s production of the same name. The show began three years ago in Australia and has been touring in North America since Jan. 27. He is a recent addition to the cast, he says.
“Grug,” based on a series of books by Ted Prior, is about a creature who began his life at the top of a burrowing tree and fell to ground, turning into a guy with little arms and feet, Crook says. He goes exploring and on adventures. Along with mostly operating Grug, Crook also plays himself.
Crook, 26, says being part of “Grug” is particularly special to him because he “grew up on these books.” He says Grug is an iconic character.
“Suddenly I get to hang out with him every day,” he says with a laugh.
Other actors in the show are Hamish Fletcher and Ellen Steele. Some of the other puppet characters are Cara the carpet snake, who is fun but more easily agitated, and a little worm who is quite cheeky and curious,Crook says.
Crook describes Grug as happy and shy but not afraid to try new things.
“He doesn’t let things really bother him. He’s really fascinated by everything around him,” he says.
The stories are simple, such as Grug deciding he’s hungry so he goes fishing. But the set for “Grug” is unique and has beautiful secret hiding halls, he adds.
Crook says being on this tour has been amazing because he has wanted to come to the United States and Canada since he was a kid. He has had a lot of great experiences, such as seeing snow for the first time in Canada. They have done a mixture of flying and driving, which he says is a fascinating way of seeing the country and that it’s “not every day you get that opportunity.”
Crook graduated from Flinders University in Australia in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in creative arts. He has done theater in Adelaide, a musical in Japan, voice-over work and just finished his first film called “One Eyed Girl.”
“Grug” is aimed at children age 5 and younger, but that doesn’t mean an older audience wouldn’t enjoy it, Crook says. Since this may be some children’s first theater experience, he says it is beautiful to be a part of that.
Whats Up, Pages 12 on 05/17/2013