Spot brings childhood magic to the Canberra Theatre Centre stage

Posted on 9 June, 2026

In 1980, author Eric Hill pioneered children’s literature with the publication of Where’s Spot?, a lift-the-flap book all about a small yellow puppy with a big brown spot.

More than four decades later, Spot has become an integral part of childhood for many, with his adventures spanning books, television and home video titles, music albums, and even CD-ROM titles.

Now, Eric Hill’s beloved puppy is coming to life on Canberra’s stage with a show that will delight all ages.

Based on the beloved books, on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, Spot will see the little dog and his friends take over the Canberra Theatre Centre as they set off on a brand-new adventure – to visit Spot’s dad on the farm and meet the farm animals.

But when they arrive, all the animals are lost. Can they find them?

Tina Jackson – who plays Spot’s best friend, Helen the Hippo – says that they might need a little help from their new friends in the audience.

“I think that families will enjoy that they get to help us – because although we are good at it, we do need a little bit of help sometimes,” she explains with a laugh.

“We need their help spotting the animals, helping us count how many animals we still have to find and telling us what animals they are…otherwise who will we know where to put them?”

Filled with puppetry, songs, and puzzles designed for ages 18 months and up, the show isn’t just written with children in mind – it also features “a lot of physical comedy” that Tina says always gets a laugh from adults. Another thing that will also appeal to parents is how Spot keeps children engaged for the full 45 minutes.

“It’s crazy to have a two-year-old sit still, stare at the stage, interact with us, and just be really immersed for that whole time. I think parents really find that quite wonderful,” Tina says.

“It somehow looks exactly like the book! When Spot appears on stage for the first time, you can hear like a gasp of wonderment from the audience, because it really is just so magical.”

Tina is no stranger to the magic of performing in a children’s show, having worked as an actor and puppeteer across the world, with credits that include Sue/Edward puppeteer in Monkey Baa Theatre Company’s Edward the Emu (2022-23), Mouse in CDP’s The Gruffalo (2017), Narrator/Puppeteer in The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). She says that what originally drew her to the role of Helen was the freedom to be a little bit silly.

“She’s a little bit outrageous, so I really feel like I can be stupid and crazy, and it doesn’t feel like me at all…which I really enjoy,” says Tina.

“I love that you can kind of put all of yourself into this thing, and everyone’s looking at the puppet.”

The other appeal is the connection to her own childhood. Like many people, Tina grew up reading the Spot books and says that the show is packed full of nostalgia for adults attending.

In fact, what makes it so special is the exact thing that saw Where’s Spot? soar to the top of bestsellers lists and become a firm favourite with pre-schoolers – the interactivity.

“I remember lifting the flap! It’s such an iconic thing as a kid that felt so magical; that you would open the page to something and then it would transform into something else,” she says.

“We kept that lift-a-flap magic within the set, so some of the animals appear behind flaps throughout the show. It really does feel magical – you’ve been staring at the set for 20 minutes, and all of a sudden there’s a pig there that you didn’t know was there the whole time!”

With sessions at 10 am, 12 pm and 3 pm on the Saturday and 10 am and 12 pm on the Sunday, no matter if your children are fans of the books or have yet to be introduced to the characters, Spot is truly a show that everyone will enjoy.

“One of my friends came and saw it in Orange yesterday, and their two-year-old hadn’t read the book yet, so I bought it for her. Yesterday she was reading her Spot book for the first time…it was just so delightful.”

“Not everyone has read the book, so it’s not just for people who love the books. She loved the show; she was completely enthralled and had never heard of Spot before. I feel like we’re introducing him to a new generation.”

Photography: Steve Pohlner