Thirty-five years into life as a Wiggle, Anthony Field is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I think this is probably our biggest show ever,” a beaming Field, 63, told The West Australian on a video call this week, ahead of bringing the Sparkle! Big Show to Perth next weekend.
“It’s now 35 years for me but the audience, who are children predominantly, are so enthusiastic and spontaneous that I feed off their energy.
“For a lot of the children, it’s the first time they’ve seen big lights, instruments played live and characters like Dorothy the Dinosaur, and you just see the smiles on their faces and mum and dad watching them and I think that keeps me in the game.”
Field, his blue skivvy and catchy singalongs have built a cult-like following among generations of children around the world.
Since forming in 1991, The Wiggles have sold more than 30 million albums and DVDs and performed thousands of shows both in Australia and overseas. Their videos have also been streamed billions of times, including more than three billion on YouTube alone.
But as Field admits, his career as a children’s entertainer almost came about by accident.
“To be honest, we were just teachers in the school holidays at the start,” Field said of founding The Wiggles alongside fellow schoolteachers Murray Cook (red skivvy) and Greg Page (yellow) and former bandmate in 1980s Syndey pop band the Cockroaches, Jeff Fatt (purple).
“We would just do these shows; we never thought it would be a career.”
What came next, though, was no accident: The Wiggles took off.
And from a humble beginning, first performing to about a dozen children at a friend’s daycare facility, The Wiggles following steadily grew and they were soon drawing hundreds to shows.
By 1993, the group quit their day jobs to focus on full-time performing and when they cracked the US market in the early 2000s, The Wiggles were among Australia’s biggest musical acts.
After 20 years of performing together, Cook, Page and Fatt retired from the band in 2012.
Some thought this might be the end of The Wiggles.
But determined to keep the magic alive for the kids, Field returned with a refreshed line-up and kept expanding The Wiggles catalogue of hits.
In 2021, The Wiggles expanded again, adding new members and doubling the official line-up from four to eight with a focus on a more diverse range of characters.
Among them is Field’s own daughter Lucia, who like her dad dons a blue skivvy.
“It’s been a fantastic time, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” Field said.
“All the OGs (original Wiggles) are still in contact, and they love that it’s still going.
“It’s great touring with my daughter; she keeps me on track. And my son Antonio, he plays drums and guitar.
“We’ve got quite a few of the family on the road with us and that’s made it a lot easier.
“My nephew Dom is the Tree of Wisdom. There’s family everywhere and I love it.”
Field said seeing his 22-year-old daughter now up on stage with him was a full circle moment.
“She is such a role model for young girls and boys,” he said.
“I have so many great memories of Lucia growing up loving Dorothy the Dinosaur and now she is the voice of Dorothy when we do live shows.
“As a parent, I took Lucia to a Play School concert when she was three or four, and I experienced what I think it’s like for parents taking their children to our shows do.
“I still remember the thrill that she got out of it and the thrill I got out of watching her enjoy that show so much. I think that spurs me on because I know what an effort it is for parents to bring their kids to a show.
“On stage we are all working to make it the best experience for these families.”
For Lucia Field, joining The Wiggles was a little like joining a family business.
Aside from her dad, brother and cousins being part of the performances, other relative fill various roles in the operation in everything from the film crew to the general manager.
Despite making cameos in the performances, including as baby Jesus when she was two months old, Lucia said she never grew up dreaming of being a Wiggles herself, but that it had now become her dream job.
“Dad lives and breathes music,” she said.
“It is every moment of every day and that fact we get to do what we do doesn’t feel like a job.
“Getting to sing and dance and perform and play music and interact with so many gorgeous children feels like a dream.
“I wanted to become a ballet dancer, but this is a lot better, and I still get to do some ballet.”
Lucia is part of the next generation of Wiggles, who have injected more diversity into the cast.
There are now four women and four men, and a range of ethnic backgrounds, including Tsehay Hawkins (Ethiopian Australian), John Pearce (Filipino Australian), Caterina Mete (Italian Australian) and Evie Ferris (Aboriginal Australian).
“I think it’s more entertaining now for children,” Anthony Field said. “We say it’s twice the fun. We’ve got eight different personalities.”
Lucia added: “I think so many more children feel represented. If they can see it, they can be it.”
Over more than three decades in music, The Wiggles have collaborated with dozens of artists including the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes and John Fogerty. But a 2025 project with the late great Dolly Parton stands out.
“Dolly sent over three tracks, and she gave us freedom to do what we want with them,” Anthony Field said of the project that was part of their Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! Release.
“We got great feedback from Dolly, and she loved what we did with them.
“She was so generous, we loved chatting with her and spending time with her. That was great highlight for all of us.”
Lucia was also gushing of the country music icon, who sadly died in August this year.
“It was so completely surreal hearing her vocal in our recording studio,” she said.
“Lachie and I did a cover of Love Is Like a Butterfly and she approved it and she loved it. Never in a million years did I think that Dolly Parton would hear my singing.”
The Sparkle! Big Show has been billed as The Wiggles’ most ambitious and biggest live touring production to date.
It features 25 dates in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, some that feature three back-to-back shows in a day.
Among them is three shows at RAC Arena next Saturday and a fourth on Sunday.
“Toyota made us a big red bubble car, and all the children love it,” Anthony said.
“We’ve got a brand-new Wiggle light stick that has a big W on it and shoots out bubbles and goes all these different colours.
“During every song we play on stage, there is always something special for the children to watch or be involved with.”
Anthony said the only area he had taken a slight step back was dancing, admitting some of the newer Wiggles were a little more gifted.
“In the original Wiggles we used to say, ‘If we can do it, a five-year-old can do it’, and they used to call us the uncles at the party because we were the daggiest dancers,” he said.
“Age has wearied me a little, so I just play the guitar now, so I’m not intimidated.”
For ticket information, visit thewiggles.com