Documentary sheds new light on The Wiggles

FROM The Little Mermaid to Barbie to Wonka, 2023 has seen no shortage of big screen nostalgia and now The Wiggles are adding their contribution.

The story of how four university friends studying early childhood education went from obscurity to a global phenomenon is told in a new documentary, that’s premiered at Sydney’s SXSW festival.

The original blue, red, yellow and purple line-up of Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt were joined by the new generation of cast members on the red carpet for the premiere of Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles.

The new Wiggles documentary Hot Potato celebrates the group’s ongoing worldwide success and is directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sally Aitken.

Cook said for the “retired” Wiggles, it’s always a surprise to see how many fans turn up for them.

“It’s a bit of a surprise for us older Wiggles just because we haven’t been around (the crowds) for a while, but it’s always lovely to see the smiling faces,” he said.

“There’s still so much joy about the Wiggles.”

Anthony Field, Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook and Greg Page are still amazed by the Wiggles’ success.

Friendship is a key theme in the documentary, with the band one of the few to still get along even after, and in spite of, gaining worldwide success.

The secret to a long-lasting mateship?

“It’s just the luck of the draw,” Fatt said. “We’re all very likeminded in terms of loving music and it just comes down to personality to make it work. You can’t design that.”

Field said their success could also be put down to a willingness to celebrate each other’s differences.

“We all actually really support each other, we genuinely enjoy each other’s company and respect each other’s talents because everybody’s got different talents,” he said.

For Cook, any differences of opinion over the years were able to be overcome because everyone believed in the underlying philosophy of the band to teach children.

“If you’re all on the same page, which we are, it works really well because it means everyone has the same sort of goals,” he said.

“There’s differences of course and things change over time, but I think that underlying foundation that we had when we started has held us in good stead.”

The Wiggles say friendship is a key theme of Hot Potato.

While Field was “petrified” at the prospect of seeing the film for the first time alongside hundreds of others, but also said feedback from people who had already previewed it was that it pulled on the heartstrings.

“Two [people] have told me they were not expecting to be moved so much emotionally,” he said.

“I suppose our characters are always pretty happy but as adults we go through everything that every other adult does, and that journey is shown in the film.”

– MAEVE BANNISTER/ AAP