The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker arrives in Karratha for performance at Red Earth Arts Precinct

An intergalactic adventure full of wonder and dreaming has landed at Karratha, with one of WA’s leading travelling performance groups bringing their latest production to the Pilbara town. Barking Gecko Theatre and their new production The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker will be performed at the Red Earth Arts Precinct on April 30. The show caters to all age groups and is an 80s-inspired intergalactic adventure about the importance of imagination, daydreaming and being true to yourself. It follows the character called Wilbur Whitaker who, when he was a boy, had a mind that was full of wonderings. Cast member Luke Hewitt said when Whitaker was a boy he would keep all of those wonderings in a little shoebox. “It flips forward to see Wilbur as a grown up — he’s lost all sense of wonder in his everyday life,” he said. “He has forgotten all about that shoebox until he’s visited by a group of intergalactic collections officers who are recycling all the wonder in the universe because it’s in short supply. “And when he gives his box up, it begins a process called Un-Wondering, which means he risks losing wonder forever.” Hewitt said the show was about how to grow up without giving away the most precious thing that we have — wonder. “Children seem to have it innately, but a lot of people struggle to take it with them as they grow up because the demands of the world,” he said. Hewitt said Barking Gecko were excited to return to Karratha after their performance of House last year. “It’s really exciting to go to that beautiful theatre and to be able to bring a big show,” he said. He said the show was for children but adults responded well to the 80s flavour of the performance.