Through puppets and animation, children are invited to tackle some of life’s biggest issues, including loss and climate change, when Tim Watt’s theatre shows come to Canberra. The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer and New Owner hit the stage at the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, on 6-11 March.

First on the bill is Watt’s debut creation and solo show, Alvin Sputnik, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the oceans have risen, and people now have to live on top of skyscrapers. The title character loses his love, watching her soul float to the bottom of the ocean, before joining a last-ditch effort to find somewhere habitable for humans in the seas.

“It’s almost like an Orpheus and Eurydice nod of journeying into the underworld to be with your lost love,” says Watts.

The creator says the work was spurred by anxiety around the climate and our future, something that hasn’t subsided since he wrote it 14 years ago. He says, if anything, we are in a worse place now than we were before.

“There’s been lots of places that we’ve done the show over the year that feels pretty fresh and raw these issues of environmental calamity,” he says.

Watts says the issues of loss and climate uncertainty are just the context; the story itself is one of fun, love and joy. He wanted to create a show he would enjoy, one that was specifically for touring, highly visual, easily transportable and could be taken to fringe festivals all around the globe.

Originally it was for older audiences, but then over the years, as more people asked if they could bring their kids, he realised it was a show for all ages.

“It’s been from people telling me that ‘no, my 12 year old loves it, it’s all they talk about’ and then festivals all around the world really started buying it for their children’s festivals and their children’s programs.”

Tackling themes of loss and changing relationships is New Owner, created by Watts and Arielle Gray in 2016 during a residency in Japan. This work is inspired by the type of profound and consuming relationships that have to come to an end.

“You might have this profound relationship and, at some point, that relationship will come to an end; they all do, whether that is because someone dies or moves on and then a new relationship starts after that,” Watts says.

A lonely puppy is adopted by a lonely older women after she loses her husband, and the pair start a new relationship. However, being quite old, Watts says there is that inevitability there, too.

“In a confused moment the dog ends up running away … and is lost in a big city and is trying to find their way back to their owner,” he says.

Continuing their fascination with puppets and animation, Watts and Gray perform New Owner together. They are both part of The last Great Hunt, a theatre organisation based in Perth that aims to bring new and experimental productions to the stage.

One of Watts’s biggest inspirations is Pixar, often finding himself weeping during their films because of the way they access sophisticated emotional content.

“I like to have a similar attitude of coming at these complex emotions from a place of innocence and naivety which lends itself really well to shows being suitable for all ages.”

He believes Western society often talks down to our children and shies away from the difficult topics. Watts says that children have more emotional intelligence than we give them credit for and that they need to be included in hard conversations.

“They’re struggling with things like loss, grandparents or pets dying and they also need art and catharsis to help them through it.”

Theatre offers a different way to absorb information offered to us, Watts says; while screens are more accessible, there is just something more to a live performance. He says this has been made apparent in the last few years where we haven’t been able to go to a show, and bringing the kids along may spark a passion that will stay with them for life.

“Start a lifelong love of live performance. For those that have it as part of their life, I think the people get a lot out of the communal experience of going and watching people as an audience.”

Coming to the Courtyard Studio at Canberra Theatre Centre, catch The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer on 6-7 March and New Owner on 8-11 March; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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