Words on Art and Life with The Choo Choo Toys
Tuesday 14 July from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Free
Join us for an unforgettable hour with the Choo Choo Toys and step into a world where poetry, live music and the spectacle of theatre collide.
The Choo Choo Toys are the dynamic duo of Bee Perusco and Alan Gannaway. Their work combines poetry, storytelling, music and theatre, often supported by audio-visual elements and costume design.
Their work spans festivals, public performances and commissioned projects, including appearances at major events such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Melbourne Show, the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Vivid Sydney. Bee’s solo works include a poetry show based on one of her costumes - “Homeless - a sea creature speaks” with a soundscape created by Alan that toured NSW and Victoria. A passionate environmentalist with a background in education, Bee performed her show focused on protecting fragile habitats, Reena’s Tale, in primary schools throughout NSW.
More recently, Bee developed ‘Gaia’, a character that began as a series of poems responding to climate change. The work evolved into a live performance, first presented at a Poetry Sydney event at the Hollywood Hotel. It was later reworked into We Are Gaia, performed by the Choo Choo Toys at Live Poets@Don Bank in 2025. The poetry collection, We Are Gaia, was published the same year by Girls on Key and edited by Anna Forsyth.
This session will explore their creative process, long-term collaboration and the ideas that shape their work.
Host:
Danny Gardner: prolific poet, seasoned presenter and passionate advocate for poetry and storytelling. With decades of experience showcasing some of Sydney’s creative voices, Danny brings a wealth of insight to this inspiring discussion.
Following the talk, a Q&A session will delve deeper into the Choo Choo Toys creative journey.
This is a free event open to all ages.
We aim to present inclusive and accessible events. If you have any particular access or communication needs, please contact our cultural programs coordinator on 02 9265 9333 or pinestreet@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au