When we set out as a creative team to bring Round the Twist The Musical to the stage, we knew a traditional, “safe” theatrical approach to design would fall short of capturing the pure, joyful weirdness of this world. In particular, the video design language had to honour the mischievous energy of Paul Jennings’ stories and the iconic ’90s TV show, while giving audiences a fresh, utterly engaging experience.
Original artwork created for the video design — fusing photoreal and illustration styles
Video design has been an intrinsic part of creating this magical world live on stage. We wanted to do more than just set a scene; here, video shapes the very reality of Round the Twist, adding layers of the real, the supernatural, and the wildly weird. From a lighthouse bathed in eerie twilight to sudden ghostly phenomena, these visuals don’t merely set the scene—they’re woven into its fabric. Our goal was to channel the off-the-wall humour fans love while amplifying the supernatural mysteries that make the Twist family’s adventures so irresistible. The inspiration for the visual animated language was drawn from our own Round the Twist–filled childhoods, Terry Gilliam’s surreal cut-out stop-motion Monty Python visuals, and the “slime” nostalgia and bold irreverence of the Australian classic kids’ show You Can’t Do That On Television.
Original artwork created for the video design — fusing photoreal and illustration styles
But the visuals don’t stand alone. They’re deeply entwined with Renée Mulder’s incredible set and costume design to capture that unmistakable Twist essence—a world where nothing is quite what it seems. Painting pixels onto the sand- and sky-infused physical set has created a world where digital and physical forms can’t exist without each other. Video bridges the 2D-esque physical world with the three-dimensionality of the characters and their story. We’ve combined various photoreal images with hand-drawn etchings and line work—as if a very human (or supernatural) hand had created these spaces.
Production Photograph — Morgan Roberts
In capturing the hilarity and heart of a show as uniquely Australian as it is universally strange, we hope longtime fans and newcomers alike feel right at home in Port Niranda. Reimagining Paul Jennings’ bizarre, beloved world for 2024 meant cranking the visual oddity up to eleven—resulting in a live experience that’s as playful, haunting, and absurd as you remember.
Design Featurette
Read more about the production here.