This Fringe, AK Creative are bringing the premiere of 3 Pigs to town. This toe-tapping, snout-wiggling musical adventure features a wonderful local cast and will be directed by Adelaide’s very own Kodi Jackson, who is no stranger to the Adelaide arts scene.
Kodi spoke to Glam Adelaide about 3 Pigs, and she shared with us where her love of performing and the arts came from.
“I have been performing since I was probably about four or five. My parents put me in church choir and from the get-go I was the kid that was putting my hand up to do every solo, learn all the dance moves and be right at the front and centre. I grew up in Seattle and when we moved to Australia all my friends were doing various performing arts like Theatre Bugs and the Australian Girls Choir. My parents really wanted me to get integrated into the community, so they pretty much signed me up for everything that everyone else was doing. I ended up being the only one out of my friend groups that stuck with it all the way through until I was a young adult.”
Kodi has been involved in the Adelaide arts scene for many years.
“For me, theatre is about telling stories that you just don’t get in other forms of media like TV or movies. I think there’s a level of vulnerability that you can access through being in the same room as the people that are performing, that you just can’t see through a screen. I really love the connection that you feel by being close to people and actually seeing their passion and their sweat close up. I also love the unpredictability of theatre, where if you do make a mistake you just have to run with it.”
We asked Kodi about 3 Pigs and where her love for the show originated from.
“So this show is actually from my days of living in Seattle. My parents were really dedicated to providing lots of cultural experiences for me and my siblings. We went to see a bunch of shows by this company called Storybook Theatre in Seattle, and this one in particular has stuck with me since then. It’s been 20 years since I saw it for the first time. I just love everything about it: the music, the story – it’s so infectious and so silly and so much fun. A few years ago I reached out to the company to see if they’d be willing to lease their script, and they said yes! It’s only been recently that I found a producer who was able to produce the show, so I’m thrilled to be bringing it to Adelaide this year and to be working with AK Creative as well.”
3 Pigs marks Kodi’s directorial debut.
“Directing is so different to anything I’ve ever done. This is my first time and I think that what I have learned is there is so much more to it than I ever imagined. When you hear of directors, you often think they just tell us whether to smile at this part or which part of the stage to go on, but I’m constantly learning that there is a bigger picture to be working with. It’s been a huge learning experience for me, especially having to be ten steps ahead of your cast, because they are often eleven steps ahead of you and have questions you haven’t thought about yet.”
Alongside Kodi, the cast features some of Adelaide’s most versatile performers.
“The cast has three of my favourite humans in it. There is my sister, Cassidy Jackson, who also is a fan of this show. She saw it when she was maybe one year old, but she has seen the recording that we’ve had multiple times and is very excited to be bringing it to stage with me. I have the famous Jemma Allen, who is a returning fringe artist with shows like Bisexual Intellectuals. She is an absolute professional and has brought so much energy and passion to the show, which she knew nothing about beforehand. I’m so fortunate to also have Jay Scott on the creative team as choreographer and as the Big Bad Wolf. They are the most fun performers I’ve ever worked with and I’m extremely happy to have them in the cast.”
3 Pigs is packed with catchy tunes, colourful characters, and delightful surprises around every corner. This is a show filled with heart, humour, and heaps of Piggy Power!
“Honestly, I feel that there is just not enough children’s theatre in Adelaide. I am really hoping that audiences can come along with the whole family and just have a great day out of fun and silliness, and hopefully we can spark a little bit of passion in those young kids – I mean, that was me twenty years ago watching this show and going, ‘I want to do that’. It’s a wonderful story with so much in it for all different ages.”
3 Pigs
Duration: 45 mins
Thursday 4 March:
11am at The Shelley Theatre
Saturday 22 March:
11am at the Domain Theatre – Marion Cultural Centre
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/3-pigs-af2025
Photo credits:
Banner image: Vipop Coombs, Vipop Productions
Headshot image: Charlie Butler, digital yarn
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