Yong wins Sydney Theatre Award

Hey everyone!

We are beyond excited to announce that Monkey Baa just won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Children! We couldn't have done it without the amazing support and hard work of so many people.

We won the award for our production of Yong based on the book "Yong Journey of an Unworthy Son" by Janeen Brian published by Walker Books. It was an honour to bring this story to life on stage.

We would like to take a moment to congratulate all the other nominees, who all deserve this award in our view. The fact that there were such strong contenders for the award is a testament to the vibrancy of the Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA) sector in Australia.

A big shoutout to Janeen Brian, RISE, Playing Australia, Daniel Henderson and Her Majesty’s Ballarat, Stephen Henderson and Capital Theatre Bendigo, Charles Zhang and Bill Moy, and the Ballarat Chinese Red Sunset Choir for their support. And thank you to Chinese Australian Cultural Society of Ballarat for being a part of this journey.

Our creative team Jenevieve Chang (Writer), Darren Yap (Director), James Browne (Production Designer), Max Lambert (Composer), Benjamin Brockman (Lighting Designer), Zac Saric (Sound Designer), Sandie Eldridge (Adaptation Consultant) and Angie Diaz (Movement Director) did an amazing job, and our production team Khym Scott, Amber Spooner, Laura Watson and Thomas Creative were instrumental in making this production a success.

And, of course, a huge thank you to our wonderful performer Wern Mak, for bringing the production to life, you're amazing.

We're so grateful for the recognition and support of our peers in the theatre community. This award is a testament to the hard work and passion of everyone involved, and we're so grateful for all the love and support.

Thanks, Team Monkey Baa!

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund and the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Monkey Baa is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

Image credit: Tiffany Garvie