Punch and Judy Annivesary in Covent Garden

In a previous article I wrote in 2005, I recalled my participation in the 325th anniversary of Punch and Judy in Covent Garden, London in 1987. This year on 9 May, the 348th birthday of Mr Punch will be celebrated. It's been so long since the days that Punch and Judy professors, as they are called, roamed the streets of England using their puppets to criticise the powers of the state. Entertainment was, of course, part of the deal, but sadly the political clout of the puppet has all but disappeared.

But if you are around London in early May, do visit the professors strutting their Punches in Covert Garden. Sadly, we will only be in London a little later in May.

Puppetry in Portugal

Today we conducted magical workshops with the talented students of  St Julian's School in Carcavelos in Portugal. The small groups of IB Drama students from years ten and twelve initially created some magical scenarios out of brown paper. These were embellish through the use of voice as their instruments, as no spoken language is used in the story telling. Sounds and song help to bridge gaps and create a universal language when using the metaphor of paper to tell a story.

Two weeks ago we did a week of workshops in Slovenia. These were for students, teachers, puppeteers and professionals who wished to learn more about using puppetry. After Slovenia, we had a few gorgeous days of sightseeing in Venice and Milan, before flying to Lisbon this week.

You can view our American International School Workshop slide show from Vienna here. I still haven't had the time to finish editing the short films we are making of our workshops in Europe this year, so please be patient. More from France next week!

Lone Wolf Tribe in America

Lone Wolf Tribe is a contemporary puppet theatre ensemble in the United States, which according to their blurb 'blends history, sociology and psychology into brutally poetic contemporary narratives'. Their production of 'Bride' caught my eye this morning here in Slovenia, while looking on the UNIMA USA web site. 

While God the Father struggles with dementia, the dismembered Mother Goddess crawls through the dark of heaven's basement; calls for salvation go unanswered as the world below spins closer toward Armageddon. Bride remembers the bloody shift from polytheism to monotheism, conjuring a 4,000 year old love story whose partnership has been long forgotten, and whose union may be our only hope. Although it seems a bit gloomy for my taste, the puppetry used in this production seems varied and inspiring.

Workshops in Vienna

Our first two weeks in Europe were spent in Vienna. We ran workshops at both the Vienna Inter- national School and the American International School all of last week. During our three days of workshops at the VIS, besides our paper and object improvisation, we also ran a short puppetry for film workshop with film students. On Friday we ran paper workshops at the American International School. The participants were IB theatre students from years eleven and twelve and their creativity was extraordinary. I am working on a short film of their work which I'll post as soon as it's done.

This week we are working in Slovenia. Based in Velenje, we are working with schools, teachers and puppeteers throughout Slovenia, before heading to Italy. Keep tuned for our news on the road!

Easter Bunny Muppet Special

The gruesome Easter Bunny has finally been released. Instead of eating chocolate Easter eggs, it feasts on cute little bunnies. How grotesque! Wishing you all a bunny-free Easter. Enjoy.