Anthony O’Donohue gained the attention of television audiences, both nationally and globally, as the charismatic host and Associate Producer of Australia’s longest-running children’s programme, Humphrey B. Bear. Since then, he has worked extensively as a performer, writer, producer and director, touring internationally with various shows. He was Project Manager and Creative Director for HIT Entertainment, U.K., and is now a performer and Creative Consultant at Marilla Productions, Australia.
Currently, Anthony is touring nationally with his latest creation: Classroom Capers, the first full-length Looney Tunes Live show to appear in Australia.
Suite 101: How did the concept for this show come about?
AD: I was working in the Marilla office, down in Melbourne, quite a few years back, and John, the producer of Classroom Capers said to me, “Write a whole bunch of concepts – synopses – for different Looney Tunes shows.” We do shows for Looney Tunes throughout South-East Asia as well. So, one of these was based around a classroom where Tweety became the teacher. Then John said to me, sometime early last year, “We’re doing a ticketed show that’s going to tour Australia, full-length, for Looney Tunes and, you know that little synopsis you wrote, you need to expand that.”
So, I added all the Looney Tunes characters and it was sent to the guys in L.A. They approved the synopsis pretty much straight away. Then I had to come back with my extended version - a scene by scene breakdown - and send that off, because everything with branded characters needs to be approved…It’s been going for eighty years or something and these guys need to know that I know the Looney Tunes characters back to front to be writing a show for them.
Suite 101: Have you written whole scripts for Looney Tunes before, or is this your first?
AD: I’ve written entire shows before, throughout Asia, for quite a few years, but not hour-long productions. The longest I’d written before this was half an hour…I’ve been involved with Looney Tunes since I was about sixteen. I started performing with them when they started to do shows around Australia. I worked right through school and worked overseas; I’ve had a really long history with them.
Suite 101: What drew you to working in children’s theatre and television?
AD: My older sister wanted to go to dance class, so my parents told me that I had to go along as well. We learned to dance, sing and act, and, when I was twelve, I started to work with Disney, in every holiday, all the way through school.
I grew up in Adelaide, where there was lots to do if you could do a lot; so, you learn every skill you can and then you’re more employable. I was working for Warner Brothers; Disney; when The Simpsons finally came out, I was working with them; all the children’s brands; Hanna Barbera…I worked right through school, which I finished when I was sixteen. Then I started my own drama school and ran that for five years.
It was such a good experience. I was running the drama department for a leading school in Adelaide, which used to be called the Johnny Young Talent School, but they changed the name to Mighty Good, and running this community drama school at the same time, where the kids really wanted to go…They just loved going there and it taught me so much. I was nominated for, and received, an Australia Day Award by one or the parents. It was such a great experience for me…They gave me a lot of life and inspiration to write because I was writing for them...But it kind of got to the point where I needed to stop and move on and we had this big cry, in a way, this big get together.
I started on the Humphrey programme in the same year, when I was sixteen…then Looney Tunes was my first overseas tour, when Space Jam came out all those years ago. We went to Singapore and Manila and then I started working with Marilla productions.
Suite 101: In hindsight, is children’s entertainment a path you would have chosen?
AD: I always thought it was performing. It wasn’t just that I was in children’s entertainment, I was doing what I’d grown up doing, since I was five – performing. In regards to going directly into children’s, I kind of fell into it and stayed in it. I just love it, whether I’m on stage, looking out at the audience and seeing the reaction; or standing side stage, listening before the show opens to the hum out there; or sitting in the audience, next to some parents with kids and just seeing them bounce up and down, looking sideways and up at the stage…It’s a great feeling. I love it.
Suite 101: Can you tell us a bit about the show itself?
AD: Basically, they go to school, so they’re all students. They find out quite early on from their principal, Elmer Fudd that the teacher’s kind of quit, because it’s just so loony in the classroom. So, they have to quietly study. Now, the Looney Tunes aren’t going to quietly study. Daffy rocks up late, as usual, and decides he’s going to take the class. The others put a stop to that and agree that they should all teach. So, they each go through a lesson and teach something. There are lots of songs and audience interaction. I’ve even put in a thing in called beat-box lunch box. When the characters are off, the host has a moment with the kids where they beat box about what they have for recess or lunch. There’s a huge globe of the world that gets bounced around when Bugs is giving his geography lesson because Bugs has been everywhere.
I can’t wait to see the show. I’ve handed it over and I know Marilla Productions will make it into something great. Their commitment to detail is fantastic.
Looney Tunes Live: Classroom Capers is currently on national tour in Australia.
Jasmine Crittenden - Jasmine Crittenden (B.A.)(Hons.)(First Class) is a writer and editor specialising in music, literature and travel.
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