You know you are either going loopy, or your new creation has charm, or possibly both, when you find yourself taking it from room to room with you around the house, or with you in the car while driving errands. Especially when its a computer bug. And we won’t mention talking to it.
There are a few other images below. This bug was made for loobylu’s June Month of Softies. My thanks once again, Claire.
Gary Friedman has lauched his blog Puppetry News and Views. Gary has a real passion for puppetry, and an absolute wealth of experience and resources in the field, so be sure to check in with him often.
The bunraku-style puppets I was working on are for production called ‘See Beneath’, being presented by Hidden Corners Theatre, Canberra’s award-winning theatre company of young carers. This is how the puppets turned out:
‘See Beneath’ is a play by and about young people dealing with disability in their families, directed by Robin Davidson and barb barnett, with the assistance of Max Barker. Its written by Rebecca Meston and the cast of Hidden Corners, and plays in Melbourne and Canberra during July. Here are season details:Melbourne: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St. Kilda.
13 – 16 July, Wed – Sat @ 7.30pm; Sat matinee @ 2pmCanberra: The Street Theatre Studio, Childers St, Civic
21 – 23 July, Thurs – Sat @ 7.30pm; Sat matinee @ 2pm
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Perth, WA, is presenting ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ in June and July.
‘An enchanting story where anything is possible if you invest it with enough belief and love. Based on the classic children’s story by Marjory Williams, (and adapted by Greg Lissaman) the velveteen rabbit is the much cherished toy of a young boy. To his family it was merely a plush toy, in amongst many, but the boy (and the rabbit) knew he was real. Was it just imagination or can the bond of love make something real?’
Dates and times are available here.
I caught an interview about the production with Philip Mitchell, the Artistic Director of Spare Parts, on the ABC program Life Matters last week. You can still listen to it by following the audio link for June 7th here. (links no longer available)
Update: I’ve posted a lot about Royal de Luxe and it’s influence since this post. Click here to go to search links to all those posts.
Update 2015 – removed and struck out some broken links
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I’m blown away by the French street theatre company Royal de Luxe’s amazing street parade, ‘The Visit of the Sultan of India Atop His Time-Travelling Elephant’, which took place in Nantes last week, in honour of the centenary of Jules Verne’s death. A rocket landed just outside the cathedral in place Saint Pierre, and from it a young giantess emerged. Together with the Sultan’s huge 11 metre tall elephant with a house built into its back, she explored the streets of Nantes, taking time to eat an icecream, ride a scooter, take a shower and nap, be lifted up onto the elephant’s trunk, and eventually to return to take off in her rocket again.
I’ve been collecting links! If you are short on time go to the ones with asterisks. (edited Oct 2014 to remove defunct del-icio.us link).
2007:
2006:
The Sultan’s Elephant in Antwerp (added 8 July 2006)
The Sultan’s Elephant in London (added 21 Apr 2006)
2005:
Nantes official site (in French):
Other photo galleries:
At Flickr:
Blog entries:
Amiens:
About Royal de Luxe:About Royal de Luxe (French sites):
Royal de luxe at Wikipedia (added July 2007)
Machines of Spectacle
‘Hunters of the Giraffes’ photo galleries:
‘The Giant’
Catamini Attraction
Poster
Tour dates:
2005:
2006: (only London confirmed as far as I know)
Oh yeah, the World EXPO also has a pavilion mascot, a platypus called Kamoné. She was designed by Melbourne-based illustrator, artist, toy designer and storyteller Nathan Jurevicius, best known for his Scarygirl series of toys, comics and products.
The drawings are pretty cool and there are various versions of her: dancing, just herself, in a long dress, playing soccer, with ipod and backpack, with tote and pencil, as an artist? (interestingly this isn’t used – maybe its not clear enough), and as a scientist.
There is also a bodysuit puppet of her. There are numerous pictures in the Australian Pavilion image gallery, such as this one of her supervising the unloading of the platypus exhibit (minus her gloves). And here Kamoné is at Tokyo Station, meeting her friends the official Aichi Expo mascots, Kiccoro and Morizo, a forest child and a forest grandfather.
One other thing. There is nice flash graphic at EXPO2005, though its a pity you have to scroll down to get both images.
What a scramble – I forgot February was so short! But here is my White Rabbit for Loobylu’s Month of Softies, which this month was on the theme of Alice in Wonderland. He stands about 40 cm (15 in) tall, and is covered in a very soft kind of fluffy material, (I’m not sure what – its not fleece or
terry towelling). He was going to have a blue jacket and be holding a
pocket watch, but I ran out of time to make those today.
The rabbit is actually a very simple glove puppet, as he fits on your hand and you can turn his head with a rod inside his body. He is very cuddly, and its fun to cradle him your arms (without it being obvious that one arm is inside) and make him come alive.
Update: Here are some pictures of him now he is finished:
By chance I discovered that the British puppetry company Puppetcraft have done a puppet show of The Mousehole Cat, one of the books by Nicola Bayley that I mentioned in my previous post. These are their carved wooden puppets of the legendary Tom Bawcock and his cat,
who ‘saved the villagers of Mousehole from starvation by putting to sea in a fearsome gale on the day before Christmas eve and catching seven sorts of fish, enough for everyone to make and enjoy a life-saving, local delicacy – starry gazey pie’. The pictures and reviews on their site, make it look like a great production, and they have a recipe for starry gazey pie, too. Apparently Tom Bawcock’s Eve is still celebrated in Mousehole on December 23rd each year.
If you are in Sydney, don’t miss Jigsaw Theatre Company’s production of ‘The Lost Thing’ this week. Its part of the Sydney Festival, and is playing at the Parramatta Riverside Theatre, from Jan 18 – 22. Its great news that the play will also be being presented by the Canberra Theatre Centre in March.
In December at the the annual Canberra Critics Circle Awards, Jigsaw’s artistic director, Greg Lissaman, won the The Canberra Times Artist of the Year award, and the company also picked up a theatre award for ‘the excellence, impact and theatrical creativity of Arborio‘. ‘Arborio’ is going up to the Sydney Opera House later in 2005. All cool news!
