A tale for New Zealand children, the show ran at the Oamaru Opera House this week and was winner of the 3 to 8-year-old section of Playmarket’s Plays for the Young Competition.
The show featured new songs (waiata) by New Zealand singer-songwriter Benny Tipene, New Zealand landscapes and tells the tale of the adventures of three popular New Zealand creatures, wēta, tuna and kārearea, which become "unlikely heroes".
Head milliner and costumes prop at the ballet, Gridley designed all the headpieces for the show and was excited to be a part of it.
"I adore the show. I love it a lot."
"I love to do kids’ shows and support that and make it high quality.
"It’s great that audiences can hear our stories and hear us sing," she said.
Gridley worked with the writers and producers of the show, Catriona Tipene and Ryan Cundy.
"Now that we’re touring one, we have more of an idea in our heads, in building the shows, designed to tour further than their initial run."
Oamaru Opera House director Frances McElhinney said the show resonated with the Oamaru audience.
"The audience feedback was resounding. They loved it, it was above all their expectations and the favourite costume was the owl," she said.
Mrs McElhinney said they were pleased such shows were coming to rural areas.
"We are seeing an increase in shows overall, particularly international shows," she said.
Based in Wellington, Gridley is Australian and graduated from Toi Whakaari in 2016.
She has worked sporadically with the Royal New Zealand Ballet since 2012, working for the first time as designer of headwear for the children’s show Tane and the Kiwi that ran at Te Papa in 2022.
She was costume designer on the show Fab Beasts in Wellington in 2022, co-written by Catriona Tipene and Cundy, with Tipene at the helm.
Gridley said she had a "good working relationship with them".
The show ran at BATs Theatre by Horse with No Name Theatre Productions and also featured creatures including unicorns and the Loch Ness monster.
"Ness" was costume-designed and made by Gridley.
"I loved working on Fab Beasts and was gunning for it.
"I like the weird and wild sort of stuff so animals are right up my alley.
"We all love kids’ theatre, so getting to do the Land of the Long Long Drive was awesome," she said.
Land of the Long Long Drive continues to tour the South Island and will screen in Dunedin at the Regent Theatre this Sunday.
