In Australia �

PUPPETRY I'\ IN AUSTRALIA � of Poppetcy has h,d , slow gcowth Puppet show - to play not only in ydn y and in Australia. In contrast to the rich traditional Melbourne, but to tour through country towns L,heritage of folk heroes in Europe, and the use in both States. These great puppet-md ters of puppets in Indian rites in North America, undoubtedly kindled a spark in many future the Aboriginal culture included no puppets. Australian puppeteers, and fanned int flame So, apart from the occasional Punch and Judy the spark already kindled in others. show, it has remained for individuals in the Peter Scriven, earlier a sensitive manipulator twentieth century to establish the Art in Aus in Bill Nicol's group, went overseas to make a tralia. further study of Puppetry - and after his One early group in Sydney worked with an return invented and established "The anthropologist, Elanora Lange, making the Tintookies", taking his company all over puppets for "Joseph and his Brethren", hand Australia, and making "Tintookies" a house weaving the garments of striped cloth; and hold word far and near. presenting the show in a City church in the Norman Hetherington, one-time cartoonist late "twenties". Some years later, Miss Lange on "The Bulletin" and now puppet-master in took the puppets to New Guinea, left them the A.B.C., is the creator of "Mr. Squiggle" with a mountain tribe, intending to return and of "Bill Steamshovel", as well as of a later to see how the primitives then regarded host of other superb puppets. Mr. Squiggle's them. But the War intervened -- so we don't 15th birthday, celebrated recently, establishes know whether they had become "gods" or him as the ABC - TV's longest-running ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "devils". continuous programme. He is known and • To Jacqueline Lewis for making the A great boost was given to Puppetry in loved all over Australia and the Pacific preliminary approach to puppeteers. Australia when Joan and Betty Rayner Islands - and children send to him each week • To the puppeteers of Australia for {Directors of The Australian Children's hundreds of squiggles. To "Bill", they send supplying photographs and information. Theatre) brought out from England first the riddles to be solved. • And to the Australian Council for the Hogarth Puppets (Jan and Ann Bussell), and Richard Bradshaw, inspired by the Arts. later Walter Wilkinson with his one-man Glove Hogarth's presentation of Lotte Reiniger's 4 "Happy Prince", came to the Clovelly Theatre Kay, who used Puppetry in re-habilitation of Drama in the Education Department) to "cut his teeth", as it were. He has since work with servicemen, achieving some out Courses for teachers were arranged some specialized in Shadow Puppetry, and is today standing results. during Vacations, so that country teachers acclaimed in Europe and U.S.A. as a master of In 1939, W. D. Nicol, lecturer in Puppetry could attend. In 1948, the Puppetry Guild of the Art. and allied Crafts at the Melbourne Teachers' N.S.W. was established, and met each month The Marionette Theatre of Australia, College, established Puppetry as an Education in one of the Centres run by The Creative established in 1965 as a national company by Activity; later founded the Puppet Guild of Leisure Movement. There were active Puppet the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, does Australia, and in December, 1946, published Groups for children in several of these Centres; not stand alone. "The Nutshell" in Perth "The Australian Puppeteer" - the first and in 1949, the Puppet Theatre in Burnie (established by Nancy and Bill Johnston); the journal devoted to Puppetry in Australia. Park, Clovelly was established, and directed by Performing Puppet Company of Peter Oldham, Unfortunately, only three issues eventuated Edith Murray. in South Australia; the Tasmanian Puppet from the over-busy volunteer staff. During What of the future? Theatre, directed by Peter Wilson; the Jeral the years from 1945 to 1968, B ii I Nicol There is certainly variety - Hand Puppets, Puppets of John and Jacqueline Lewis, in directed seasons of Puppet Plays in the Youth Rod Puppets, String Puppets, Shadow Puppets Sydney; and on the Gold Coast, Q.T.O.P. Theatre established by the National Fitness - Puppets carved, modelled, made of junk, (with Kay Littler's puppets and Gerda Council of Victoria. Trained in this group stuffed and modelled with the needle - an Pinter's production) surely attest the fact that were several young people who have since infinite variety. But what of standard of Puppetry in Australia is passing from the made considerable contributions to Puppetry production? This is an area where there is "Craft Stage" into the realm of "Theatre". in Australia - Peter Scriven, who established ample room for improvement. Nevertheless, And it is growing more widespread each year, "The Tintookies" - John Bisset, whose we should beware of thinking that "big�r" with groups springing up in far-flung areas - Puppet Club at Toorak Teachers' College did is "better". The too large puppet may lose a mining town 700 miles N.E. of Perth - a some exceptionally good work - and Robert some of its charm. The too big company small community on a North Coast river in Akins, now establishing a permanent Puppet means great expense, and limited presentation N.S.W. - are just two recent examples. Theatre in Melbourne in a massive, disused, because it requires big halls for setting up its In the early "thirties", two artists, Alan and stone church which he has purchased. From big "theatre", and so on. Practically, the Kay Lewis, carved about twenty marionettes - '68 to '70, Bill Nicol and his wife spent several "one-man show" is ideal; not only from the including Mr. and Mrs. Corncob - for "All months each year with tribal aborigines in the point of view of expense - but because it is Aboard for Happiness" - a trip round the Northern Territory, introducing Shadow "a personal statement" - a unity very seldom world, which included scenes underwater and Puppets to illustrate aboriginal stories told by achieved en masse! in Japan, Africa, London, and New York. the elders to the young folk. For some years past, there has been noted They presented the show in a city store, and Meanwhile, in N.S.W., interest in Puppetry in Europe a general tendency towards later in many N.S.W. schools. During the War, had been steadily growing. Through the "stylization" and "symbolism" - after all, the the American Red Cross engaged Alan and encouragement of Mr. L.F. Keller (in charge puppet is a "symbol" - why chain it to 5 .

Load more