'Papers Got Talent' China bound

'Papers Got Talent' immediately following my last post 'Africa's got Talent', gives you a short preview into the work that we shall be performing as part of four new 'World of Paper' productions at the 21st UNIMA Festival in Chengdu, China next week. The short film features puppeteers, Janice Pezzoti and Gary Friedman, accompanied by musician David Wells and directed by Dan Goronszy.

Tomorrow we fly off to Chengdu and I shall try my utmost to post news and views direct from the UNIMA Congress and Festival, as it happens, We shall also be collecting interviews and articles for posting directly after the festival, as there's apparently no access to Face Book, nor You Tube from China.

Following China, the production will open in Australia and will also be featured in the Melbourne Fringe Festival in September, before embarking on an Asian tour scheduled for later in the year. If you would like to catch this innovative work, stay tuned for more details!

Africa's Got Talent

The recent upsurge in African puppetry began with Handspring's international success. More recently we spotted a South African street puppeteer (here) doing a great jive on the streets. Now another highly talented marionettiste on Angolan television  (here) does an extraordinary dance to the tremendous joy of the studio presenter, who gets down and dirty with the puppet. The feat of the two gyrating together amused the studio audience and is now doing the viral rounds on Face Book.

Fast Boat to China

Next week we're off to perform in China for the first time. Why China? Well, it's the much anticipated 21st UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival taking place in Chengdu from 27 May to 3 June 2012.

We have specially prepared a new production, based on our 'World of Paper and Object Theatre' featuring Brazilian puppeteer, Janice Pezzoti with Gary Friedman, who'll be accompanied by a traditional Chinese musician. The show is without language, but instead uses breathe, sound and music to communicate its message.

These performances take place at the ICH Park on 28 May on the Stage 8 Theatre. If you plan to be in Chengdu, China next week, please pop in and come see a performance.

We plan to perform this production a little later in the year at the Melbourne Fringe Festival for those that can't make it to China, so keep posted. We shall also be covering the festival with news and interviews, posted up here on our return as I'm not sure how easy it will be to do the posting live from China...Let's see!

Marionette Training at the Little Angel Theatre

Founding Puppet Master of the Little Angel, John Wright

“The Wild Night of the Witches”  was master puppeteer John Wright's premiere production at London's Little Angel Theatre over fifty years ago.

"In the marionette I see a form of delight. Here in the combined forces of design sculpture drama and dance is a joyful power which can be communicated without recourse to any form of disguise or distortion.

A man who can express himself through the marionette can mix with the mighty and with the poor, with the old and with the young. He can appeal to the high intellect and involve his creative urge in the interests of simple people. Such is the magic of the marionette that he can speak to the deaf and communicate with disquieted minds", said John Wright.

Last year the Little Angel Theatre offered the opportunity for training marionettists to perform in the re-staging of “The Wild Night of the Witches”.  As interest in this project was so high, the Little Angel have decided to run it again this year. 

This 35 minute marionette show provides an exceptional professional development opportunity for puppeteers wishing to work intensively on developing their long string marionette skills. Puppeteers Ronnie Le Drew and Sue Dacre will be directing the production and training the company. 

The project involves two weeks of intensive training and rehearsals followed by performances for the public. It runs from Tuesday 7 August to Sunday 19 August 2012 inclusive and takes place at Little Angel Theatre in London.   Deadline for applications is Monday 4 June.  If you live in London and have interest in this great opportunity, send applications to witches@littleangeltheatre.com

Animatronics and Animals

Animatronics and puppetry are combined in this new series of TV commercials for Glad Black Bag's newest campaign ' The Wild Life'. It's all fake reality show featuring a cast of entertaining animatronic animals and one incredibly messy house. The campaign, created by Evolution Bureau, consists of impressive animatronics by puppeteers who worked on Jim Henson’s Muppets. (Thanks to Annette at Social Radius)

Punch still doing it at 350

Punch's 350th Anniversary (thanks to Rod Burnett for pic)

"That's the way to do it!" exclaims Punch, who is still alive and well and celebrating his 350th in Covent Garden, London this weekend. I am so sorry that we are stuck in rainy Melbourne, instead of celebrating with all the professors in sunny London, but I guess I did attend the 325th, twenty-five years ago, which was wonderful (see the post here).

Punch has come a long way since his Commedia dell'arte origins. In fact he has traveled the full gambit across the universe, mostly taking the part of the underdog and standing up for their cause. He hasn't always been permitted free expression as he is in some limited parts of the world today. In eighteenth century England, actor, writer and puppeteer Samuel Foote took his Punch and Judy Show onto the streets of London to critique the British Monarchy, after actors criticizing the monarchy had been banned. When the police came to arrest him, he calmly stated: "It wasn't I that said a word, it was these puppets here that should be arrested!" You can find more examples of the general intolerance to the beloved anarchist here.

You can view the BBC's 350th tribute here.  I suppose all we can do now is plan to attend the next Big Bash for Punch's 375th in 2037. See you all in 2037?

FIDENA 2012 takes off

The puppet itself is not necessarily at the heart of today’s so-called “figure theatre” just as a traditional painting is almost an exception in contemporary art. Today the way we perceive things is moving into the focus of attention. Here puppets, figures and objects turn our attention away from how things and materials function, and expose them to unusual points of view.



FIDENA 2012, opening on 10 May,  is a good example here. It will be turning machines into dancers and bringing paper to life, transforming one castle park into a zoo, and another one into a wonderland. Mission Impossible will be going solo and Hansel and Gretel will be landing in the middle of an installation. On one whole evening FIDENA 2012 will be grinding everything to a halt and, on another, setting the stage alight.
There’s a risk you might get addicted, so don’t say we didn’t warn you! If you are anywhere near Bochum in Germany, don't miss what promises to be a theatrical treat.