Global Creatures, the production company behind the Tony Award-winning “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” has another stage show in the works. The company has announced its acquisition of rights to develop and mount a stage adaptation of Trent Dalton’s bestselling novel “Boy Swallows Universe.”
“I am so frequently awed by what Carmen Pavlovic and Global Creatures are able to create for theatrical stages across the world,” said Dalton in a statement. “They always seem to me to be chasing the kind of electrifying soul wallop that I tried to bring to ‘Boy Swallows Universe,’ back when that more-than-semi-autobiographical story first broke loose from the rusty prison bars of my heart and turned itself into a book. It’s nothing less than a theatrical dream come true for me to embark on this journey with a global team as profoundly protective of where that story comes from as it is electrified by its creatively boundless and geographically borderless theatrical potential.”
Published in 2018 by HarperCollins Australia, “Boy Swallows Universe” was adapted into a seven-part Netflix series in 2024. It tells the story of Eli Bell, who is trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to be a good man — but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way — not the least of which is Tytus Broz, a legendary Brisbane drug dealer. But Eli’s life is going to get a whole lot more serious: he’s about to meet the father he doesn’t remember, break into Boggo Road Gaol on Christmas Day to rescue his mother, come face-to-face with the criminals who tore his world apart and fall in love with the girl of his dreams.
“Trent Dalton is one of the most dynamic voices in Australian literature and his thrilling debut novel ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ is one of my favorite books ever,” said Tony-winning Global Creatures producer Carmen Pavlovic. “I’m honored to collaborate with Trent to reimagine his remarkable and deeply personal story for the stage.”
Global Creatures has developed and launched six productions across four continents, including the Tony-winning “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” as well as “King Kong,” “Muriel’s Wedding,” “Strictly Ballroom,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Walking With Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular.”
Future production timeline and other information about the stage adaptation of “Boy Swallows Universe” are forthcoming.
