DOGGONE DELIGHT: Siblings Rusty, 3, and Rian Morris, 5, leave no doubt as to who their favourite Wiggles character is.
STAYING POWER: Blue Wiggle Anthony Field enthralls the crowd at one of the weekend’s four shows in Griffith.
THE big red car “toot toot chugga chugga’d” into Griffith at the weekend as part of a whistlestop tour for iconic children’s group, The Wiggles.
Tickets went like hot potatoes for the four shows – two on Saturday and two on Sunday – with hundreds of local kids and their parents pouring into the regional theatre.
While the Aussie group last visited Griffith in 2008, this tour marked the first time the new-look Wiggles had played in Griffith.
New Red Wiggle Simon Pryce said despite the frenetic tour schedule, the group still managed to sample some of the city’s famous flavours.
“It just seems like such a great place with amazingly friendly people,” Pryce said.
“We had some beautiful coffee at Dolce Dolce and we’ve been told we have to try the local citrus, so hopefully we can do that.
“There also seems to be a lot of furniture stores and boutiques that I’d love to get a look at.”
Pryce, who has a background in musical theatre, said playing to children was a unique – and sometimes daunting – experience.
“You know immediately if you’re hitting the mark because if you’re not, the kids will just turn away,” he said.
“They’re so engaged with what you’re doing and watching them do the actions back at you is so rewarding.”
Griffith’s Tulsa Stevenson, 5, came to Saturday’s show bearing a bunch of roses for Dorothy the Dinosaur.
“The Yellow Wiggle came and collected them from me and her shoes were really cool,” Tulsa said.
“It’s really nice to have a girl Wiggle now.”
The Riverina marks the first leg of the band’s Taking Off Tour, which will continue until June.