Manipulation: a MAGAZINE for PUPPETEERS Registered by Australia Post, Publication No

11111\.\\\\\\\\\� ·"'t,,••• ,411�)��,� -\ --r.::�i////1'!,I : manipulation: A MAGAZINE FOR PUPPETEERS Registered by Australia Post, Publication No. VBH4377 FEBRUARY 1982

Y, ,

. I ------1EXHIBITION OBITUARIES 1 At the end of 81, in the last The Marionette Theatre of Aus tral:i.a round Editor: Maeve Vella BE'CTY RAJNER of State Federal government grants, ��ih.._, is organizing an exhibition of pup and these were the amounts allocated to pets from companies Australia-wide performer, puppeteer, Published every two months SOME FUNDING: puppet theatre- for the Exhibition Hall of the Syd founder, with sister ney Opera House.. .Toan, of Australian Available by subscription: All correspondence to: Children's Theatre, 1930 28 Macarthur Place $6.oo annually11 in Australia Puppets exhibited will be "Stars" died November,1981 $12. 30 overseas Carlton VIC 3053 - principal characters from trad advertising rates: itional and contemporary puppet IJON BOYCE �e:.Pe�l\-t- 1 plays and star cabaret runs like WHAT S ON & Classified ads: Free the Grand Turk and Dissecting arts administrator, Qua.p"!,er-page ads: $10 ..oo Skeleton. co-ordinator, 1979 �{O�QOO MAR(�� ntel\�E- a,J\O�UA Manipulation is assisted by the Theatre Board of Hobart Puppet Festival The exhibition opens on April 2 $ �q4-oo '-'[rtE. ffll'U+ the Australia CnU11r.il,a statutory body·of the died suddenly, and runs through May. November 1981 Australian Government f 31,5'00 ?PARE: 'PARI'"', JOB·VACANCY • ,.._,100 �t\Mf'IN CORRECTIONS PAPERBAG PUPPET CENTRE 1l 101 �OD Htt�l\111 VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY 76 Edmund Street, Unley SA 5o61. SCHOOL, Collin od, Training in Japan gwo would like to employ Just before going to the summer recess, ;), 100 a puppeteer as artist 'PVNCHTU15 3533 could come as welL And after talking to produce their first performance and the whole day, we could hardly whisper �C.1> � ,-,,oc,c, A!RENSU\Mll �lOKi.TTe � become HANDS. A grant of $3,800 to the on Monday afterwards. Kooka•s New Nest Araluen Trust from the Australia Council has helped them to get started, and they KOOKA PUPPET COMPANY have moved The Centre 1s now completely upside plan to establish a repertoire of shows to bigger & better premises at: down with paint, papers and sets Ivanhoe Parade, to tour the Territory, and to run their spread everywhere•. The Japanese prod 4,L/-JM! own puppet theatre at the Araluen Comm 11Bunraku" uction is nearly finished and we are A TERM THAT IS WIDELY MISUSED The word comes from· the stage name of a IV ANllD E VIC 3079 unity Centre. Japanese puppeteer from Awaji Island, called Masai Phone now working on the Polish story. 1 11 (03) 497 2697 Kahei, stage name 1Bunrakken • •• The art of Joruri ( the real name for this type of LETTERS The Manipulation calendar has given us Dear Maeve ••• Our last show, 11Deep theatre) went into decline in 1842 because of drast an idea - why not have an Australian Space Bungle" was a success, financ ic government reforms. B�akken and bis troupe calendar for 1983 with twelve puppet ial and otherwise. We got lots of ::::, were one of the few survi vors and they established companies providing pictu�e/material/ free publicity through the Festival. themselves as the most outstandi ng puppet troupe in Dear·Maeve .... I enjoyed your review layout for each month·? It would be of Sydney, but the Festival itself' Osaka. 1 of 1 Macarth1.U'" ·but feel the front page possible to ask each of the companies has really come downhill. Most acts � 11 heading, 11MTA·Resurrect s • implies a · for $100 contribution, as well as some were the same as last year. Every Izr 1a72·the troupe opened a theatre called the BUN 1 1 messianic status· for our company not moneykay perhaps be saved from the thing done on the cheap and covered RAKCJ THEATRE in Osaka, and the name 1Bunraku 1 became yet justti'ied. There is, of course, Festival 1 s budget. The calendar could with ads for the sponsor. ( I'm speak <( synonymous with this type of theatre. A fire in 1926 destroyed the theatre and most of the puppet heads. much·more to running a puppet company be sold during the 1983 Festival to ing about acts in the park) The lay than do"ing shows which please puppet the public at large, sent overseas - out was acoustically a carnival. Each � The theatre was rebuilt, but in 1945 was again burnt eers. Shows such as "Smile s Away" and and maybe even UNIMA could make en-: activity/stage's sound carried over down, this time completely devastating any old pupp 11 11Macarthur which have been well rec ough to have money for ·the next year's. into the-next area and most stages ets that bad survived. The Bunraku Association was eived by puppeteers and audiences calendar as well. There cannot be a and PA Is were up at the Archibald formed and a new thea:tre was built, which is still alike have yet to prove themsel ves better promotion than something of Fountain, which left the buskers the the home of this type of theatre in Osaka. at th� office, whereas 11 The Magic this kind - _otherwise there w�ld be ·short between-show breaks to perform z box1 1 11 Pudding' and 1 The Mysterious Potamus a lot of paper spent in the same way and be heard. Pity, The name of the type of puppet used is "Kugutsu". 11 have come in above budget. Of course, as we have seen it with past Come Out Dennis Murphy ::::, "Bunraku i·s now the· modern term for the theatre ideally it would be good to have a festivals, etc. If acceptable, Outlandyshe Puppet Theatre form of puppet playing, Joruri or storytelling, 1 we 1 commercial" product which pleased would l:ike to be one of the companies ea and Samiesen playing. . all. involved• Pet er Wilson Richard Bradshaw Karel & Eva Rehorek, Marionette Theatre of Australia Paperbag Theatre Co. 2 1 ------1EXHIBITION OBITUARIES 1 At the end of 81, in the last The Marionette Theatre of Aus tral:i.a round Editor: Maeve Vella BE'CTY RAJNER of State Federal government grants, ��ih.._, is organizing an exhibition of pup and these were the amounts allocated to pets from companies Australia-wide performer, puppeteer, Published every two months SOME FUNDING: puppet theatre- for the Exhibition Hall of the Syd founder, with sister ney Opera House.. .Toan, of Australian Available by subscription: All correspondence to: Children's Theatre, 1930 28 Macarthur Place $6.oo annually11 in Australia Puppets exhibited will be "Stars" died November,1981 $12. 30 overseas Carlton VIC 3053 - principal characters from trad advertising rates: itional and contemporary puppet IJON BOYCE �e:.Pe�l\-t- 1 plays and star cabaret runs like WHAT S ON & Classified ads: Free the Grand Turk and Dissecting arts administrator, Qua.p"!,er-page ads: $10 ..oo Skeleton. co-ordinator, 1979 �{O�QOO MAR(�� ntel\�E- a,J\O�UA Manipulation is assisted by the Theatre Board of Hobart Puppet Festival The exhibition opens on April 2 $ �q4-oo '-'[rtE. ffll'U+ the Australia CnU11r.il,a statutory body·of the died suddenly, and runs through May. November 1981 Australian Government f 31,5'00 ?PARE: 'PARI'"', JOB·VACANCY • ,.._,100 �t\Mf'IN CORRECTIONS PAPERBAG PUPPET CENTRE 1l 101 �OD Htt�l\111 VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY 76 Edmund Street, Unley SA 5o61. SCHOOL, Collin od, Training in Japan gwo would like to employ Just before going to the summer recess, ;), 100 a puppeteer as artist 'PVNCHTU15 3533 could come as welL And after talking to produce their first performance and the whole day, we could hardly whisper �C.1> � ,-,,oc,c, A!RENSU\Mll �lOKi.TTe � become HANDS. A grant of $3,800 to the on Monday afterwards. Kooka•s New Nest Araluen Trust from the Australia Council has helped them to get started, and they KOOKA PUPPET COMPANY have moved The Centre 1s now completely upside plan to establish a repertoire of shows to bigger & better premises at: down with paint, papers and sets Ivanhoe Parade, to tour the Territory, and to run their spread everywhere•. The Japanese prod 4,L/-JM! own puppet theatre at the Araluen Comm 11Bunraku" uction is nearly finished and we are A TERM THAT IS WIDELY MISUSED The word comes from· the stage name of a IV ANllD E VIC 3079 unity Centre. Japanese puppeteer from Awaji Island, called Masai Phone now working on the Polish story. 1 11 (03) 497 2697 Kahei, stage name 1Bunrakken • •• The art of Joruri ( the real name for this type of LETTERS The Manipulation calendar has given us Dear Maeve ••• Our last show, 11Deep theatre) went into decline in 1842 because of drast an idea - why not have an Australian Space Bungle" was a success, financ ic government reforms. B�akken and bis troupe calendar for 1983 with twelve puppet ial and otherwise. We got lots of ::::, were one of the few survi vors and they established companies providing pictu�e/material/ free publicity through the Festival. themselves as the most outstandi ng puppet troupe in Dear·Maeve .... I enjoyed your review layout for each month·? It would be of Sydney, but the Festival itself' Osaka. 1 of 1 Macarth1.U'" ·but feel the front page possible to ask each of the companies has really come downhill. Most acts � 11 heading, 11MTA·Resurrect s • implies a · for $100 contribution, as well as some were the same as last year. Every Izr 1a72·the troupe opened a theatre called the BUN 1 1 messianic status· for our company not moneykay perhaps be saved from the thing done on the cheap and covered RAKCJ THEATRE in Osaka, and the name 1Bunraku 1 became yet justti'ied. There is, of course, Festival 1 s budget. The calendar could with ads for the sponsor. ( I'm speak <( synonymous with this type of theatre. A fire in 1926 destroyed the theatre and most of the puppet heads. much·more to running a puppet company be sold during the 1983 Festival to ing about acts in the park) The lay than do"ing shows which please puppet the public at large, sent overseas - out was acoustically a carnival. Each � The theatre was rebuilt, but in 1945 was again burnt eers. Shows such as "Smile s Away" and and maybe even UNIMA could make en-: activity/stage's sound carried over down, this time completely devastating any old pupp 11 11Macarthur which have been well rec ough to have money for ·the next year's. into the-next area and most stages ets that bad survived. The Bunraku Association was eived by puppeteers and audiences calendar as well. There cannot be a and PA Is were up at the Archibald formed and a new thea:tre was built, which is still alike have yet to prove themsel ves better promotion than something of Fountain, which left the buskers the the home of this type of theatre in Osaka. at th� office, whereas 11 The Magic this kind - _otherwise there w�ld be ·short between-show breaks to perform z box1 1 11 Pudding' and 1 The Mysterious Potamus a lot of paper spent in the same way and be heard. Pity, The name of the type of puppet used is "Kugutsu". 11 have come in above budget. Of course, as we have seen it with past Come Out Dennis Murphy ::::, "Bunraku i·s now the· modern term for the theatre ideally it would be good to have a festivals, etc. If acceptable, Outlandyshe Puppet Theatre form of puppet playing, Joruri or storytelling, 1 we 1 commercial" product which pleased would l:ike to be one of the companies ea and Samiesen playing. . all. involved• Pet er Wilson Richard Bradshaw Karel & Eva Rehorek, Marionette Theatre of Australia Paperbag Theatre Co. 2 1 "Leave your worries and cares, your logic and Cartesian ideas at the door. When you go to 11Momma1 s" you're lett "For this debut, loaded with talent, the whole world is FESTIVAL ing yourself into two hours of dreaming, of mental and one huge puppet needing but to have the str:L�gs pulled and everything i grist for the mill of fantasy, This' intellectual play and solid enjoyment. You slip easily s This column is set aside each issue for news and discuss• gives rise to consternating moments of-talent that just into this fabulous world, then at the end, drag yourself 1, ion on the Adelaide International Puppet Festival to be away with the sorrowful heart caused by the br".l.tal int escape 'showing off and again to hallucinating flashes held January 21 - 30, 1983. All readers are :invited to erruption of a wonderful dream. But 11Momma 1 s" has an ad of genius. The genius carries one away, and finally, this droll tale of a pliable little puppet manages to obsess vantage over a dream : you can relive the dreams created 11 contribute - all contributions rlll be printed. 11 I 11 11 you, like a cpestion with no answer. by Momma s whenever you wish. Le Monde de la Musique In this world there are two things France-Soir

NEWS •.. that are constantly p ut down: Australia Little news to date. The main task in hand at the moment and Puppetry. The Australian Puppet is raising funding.The Australia Council and the South Australian government are willing to provide funds, but exactly how much is ke t to be f'inalised, and is dependent Theatre's production of MOMMA'S has "Flesh and blood actors ( who on the amount of private sector funding the festival can seem to have conjurer's ab attract. The Foreign Affairs Department is willing to ilities), giant hinged pup assist in bringing out overseas troupes, and is particul seemingly achieved the imp ossible. pets, mobile stage props, arly interested in YAKSHA.GANA, an Indian troupe recomm (themselves containing ended by Richard Bradshaw .. The Goethe Institute has also characters),props soaring "' stated its willingness to assist in bringing out a Germ p 1 Q" ., Australian puppetry has taken a lace above the andiencs s heads '" ,, 4' ,.,.£ .. �.-;l and company. DRAK, from Czechoslovakia, has expressed on the ends of invisible � � � MV long poles: complex mech ., ,.. "'· " �.-.!: �/4 .. interest in coming.. on the world theatre scene. Did the ,;ti' ii:,, ,i:,,""' anisms bring to life a "<· A <,,$ k,;l "1"»t type of spectre seemingly ..... 'I='�""' 1,,,,,,_; J L...'.! ..• AND VIEWS y not of this world,though "·"°'"' Europeans really take it seriousl ? in ,e1<"""'!Ill' - they are fact made of .,_ ,i. \o ,), '-:.4 i:i,,;; . 11 If it1 s not-too late I'd like to throw :in my suggestion for cardboard,wood and metal a European company to invite to the 1 83 Festival, "\lnlich I Cop these extracts from the Paris Agence France Presse think would-have several advantages to its visit. It is the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre from England. This group, with season, December 1981-______an international reputation for performing excellence, has 11 toured overseas, and I know would like to come to Australia A slow voyage into the to display its skill. The company has a wide range of per nocturnal zones of fantasy,

formance styles which I believe would appeal to a greater with a dizzying11 power of in 11 proportion of the public Australia than many other Euro A disconcerting show from start to finish. One goes along suggestion. pean companies, allowing greater potential for public per L1Express formances, or even some kind of Australian tour. It would expecting to see a dreary puppet show and :instead of a rigid, static Punch and Judy outfit, what does one get? also provide the festival with a UNIMA presence in the form 11 "Opera of the Impossible they call it. Yes indeed ! of John Blundall, and perhaps allow him to compare the cur Opera of the unbelievable, even, and poetic opera also, rent state of Australian puppetry as represented at the 11 1 11 F stival with that he experienced in Hobart four years ago. Unquestionably, Momma s is the most innovative, most e original show yet around, rr I'm sure many would be interested in his comments on this,. Litteraires Nouvelles PHOTO: Cathy_Koning To finish, I'd like to wish the Festival organizers all the best in their most difficult tas� Bryce Kershaw, "Australia is a long way from us - but please, we would Floreat Park WA' have more of her theatre, Like the United St ates, this young country is in a powerful position to surprise us with their stage works. Such is the case with the Aust ------ralian Puppet Theatre from Melbourrie, an amazing troupe - - --,' of puppeteers who combine master puppetry traditions I Last issue Paperbag Theatre Co.commented that the org aniz • in with advanced techniques, synthesisers,1 lasers, special ation should not be the hands of bureaucrats.. Fair en effects, and music hall classics. 1 ough - ideally the responsible body should be a puppeteer A COMPETITION FOR THE ,mo1E FAMILY!/ PLACE A TICK IN THE BOX X Le Quotidien de Medecine pie YOU THINK IS THE CORRECT ONE. NEATEST CORRECT ENTRY BECOMES organization, However, it's neither necessary nor desir rumour/ able that the co-ord:inator should be a puppeteer, because AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN PUPPET THEATRE! (If 11 that job requires administrative expertise. you want The Australian Puppet Theatre bas come 20,000 kms to show The AUST RALIAN PUPPET THEAT RE precedent, take the last Festival in Hobart. Its co-ord us their work, And as there is not one word of dialog.ie in JS •••••• inator, the late Don Boyce, appointed by the Tasmanian their show, you'll never know what language Australians 1. Disbanding and winding up its affairs, Arts Advisory Board, was not a puppeteer, he was an ex speak. On the other hand, you will learn that they have due to lack of interest and nervous □ 5. Touring Australia with the Grande perienced administrator.) But back to the question of not forgotten how to use creative abilities when it's a breakdowns. Orchestra Splendide :in late 1982. □

the responsible body. An open meeting at the end of the matter of creatingI theatre. These clever people deserve 11 last festival in '79 voted that there be another one in to be called the Grand J1agic AU.stralian Puppet Theatre'. 2. Doing a conservation show with Jennifer 1983, and that it be in Adelaide,. And there the matter Davidson in Tasmania. 6. Preparing a new work to be presented L'Hebdo □ at the International Puppet Festival rested. When I began to make enquiries :in January last in 1 year, I learned that nobody :in the Guild, in UNmA, in 3. Doing a show with Nigel Triffitt. Ja.i::mary 83 and following it with Adelaide or anywhere els e had formulated any plans or "With a kangaroo's pouch instead of his sack, Father a tour of Europe later in the year,. □ knew who was going to organize the next festival .. In Christmas (no doubt confused by international time diff 4. Doing a new version of Momma for a USA the August Manipulation I asked publicly, and no-one erences) has come to Paris earlier than expected, And tour in March 1983. □ 7. None of the above. replied. It seems that when the Carclew Boa.rd announced he's left us a present at the Palais des Glaces, a pres in October that it would take on the organization of ent so good, we' 11 still be marvelling by Christmas Day. the festival, it was stepping into a breach that pupp A visual and aural fantasy with not a spoken word, to The Australian Puppet Theatre's registered office is Floor 1, 626 Glenferrie Rd.Hawthorn Vic. eteers had been unable or unwilling to fill. awaken our senses to that world lurking-·on the· edge of 11 our dreams." The A.P.T. tour of "Momma was produced by John Pinder & Roger Evans Pty.Ltd .. Maeve Vella ___ ...,J 3 Editor Le Parisien �. ------4 "Leave your worries and cares, your logic and Cartesian ideas at the door. When you go to 11Momma1 s" you're lett "For this debut, loaded with talent, the whole world is FESTIVAL ing yourself into two hours of dreaming, of mental and one huge puppet needing but to have the str:L�gs pulled and everything i grist for the mill of fantasy, This' intellectual play and solid enjoyment. You slip easily s This column is set aside each issue for news and discuss• gives rise to consternating moments of-talent that just into this fabulous world, then at the end, drag yourself 1, ion on the Adelaide International Puppet Festival to be away with the sorrowful heart caused by the br".l.tal int escape 'showing off and again to hallucinating flashes held January 21 - 30, 1983. All readers are :invited to erruption of a wonderful dream. But 11Momma 1 s" has an ad of genius. The genius carries one away, and finally, this droll tale of a pliable little puppet manages to obsess vantage over a dream : you can relive the dreams created 11 contribute - all contributions rlll be printed. 11 I 11 11 you, like a cpestion with no answer. by Momma s whenever you wish. Le Monde de la Musique In this world there are two things France-Soir

The 1981 festival involved thirty-four profession al children 1 s theatre companies, mostly Victorian, li"ith a few interstate companies from NSW, Queens land and Tasmania. Melbourne puppeteers were there in force, and this article reviews some of their performances.

"STAR-CHIID GOES BUSH" Polyglot•s latest show mixes various languages in a single story. Actually it•s not so much a story with plot as a tour of the environment with a conservation message equally·as strong as the cultural tolerance mess age that is Polyglot's raison d'etre. The show's best pointS are the backlit scenery; clear, fresh images of city bush and beach; the vigorous humour "THE DREAM GOBBIER11 Jika-Jika like scene works very well. After that, of the script; and the irresistible to mix it with their audience. In nothing much happens, and the sets vitality of the puppeteers,especial 11 11Four Chinese Brothers they invite are never so appealing or integral to ly when they're working out front of some of them into the set to operate the·action, as the show wanders round the set. Behind the set they are 1 puppets and props. In 1 The Dream Gob the room in quest of the Dream Gobb struggling to deal with the show•s bler" they spread the set to the front ler. Hear the end, things pick up two wealmesses - puppets too• tiny and back of the room, and perfoxmers when he's found in the icy trees be for the set, and taped snatches-of and puppets travel along a central hind the audience,· because he's a foreign dialogue between which they aisle through the audience. Th.is open wild, spiky puppet played with a good must sandwich their own live (Eng sense of the manic, and because his lish) dialogue. The mix of taped and layout was refreshing and comfortable and largely saved "The Dream Gobbler" trees light up with a strange cold live speech creates too many prob glow that makes you shiver. le ms. It makes the foreign language from becoming just another cute fairy component stiff and sterile in com tale. The beginning and end of the show were interesting, but in between I think J:ika-Jika would do well to parison with the energy and immediacy throw out the soft centre of the of the English, causes embarassing it was mostly mush. The story begins at centre front, in a beautiful app kings, queens, once-upon-a-time-land ove"rlapping when the timing is not lique 1 d village-scape peopled �y great stuff and take the princess herself' spot-on, and hampers the excellent loudmouthed finger puppets. There 1 s a on the perilous journey. She's a good, opportunities for ad-libbing offerad princess who has nightmares, and we strong puppet who could carry the load by the script. The puppets are the much better than her wishy-washy mum usual exquisite Polyglot characters, are treated to a glimpse of them as Hoyts 1 promo material would have it· that "The Great she sleeps. Around her little white and- dad do. I'd also like-to see her 1 the final confrontation between Luke Skywalker soft-sculpture glove and rod puppets Muppet Caper" has a 1 Distinotive best-of.;;;the movies" bed, alone in an all-black set, hover dreaming some sweet dreams at the very 1 and Darth Vader in 11The Empire StrikeS Back" ? in various ethnic costumes and Star look about it, but 1 Tackiest-of-the-movies" would be 1 mad tea-cups and wobbly green demons, end, rather than the dull, dreamless Wow.) It s heartening for those involved in rather Child, the silver glove puppet, 'but a more accurate description� As the·Muppet·Show par less big-budget puppet productions to note that worked from rods through slits in the sleep ,she appears to settle into. It odied the style of TV variety shows, this second they tend to look a bit lost in the hardly seems worth all the trouble, the crowning effect of thl.s ·elaborate scene was a vast new set. The set doesn't really black screen behind. They're a bit Muppet film sends �p classic movie clic�es;. menacing, a bit whimsical, and the otherwisEl. halo of 50,i sparklers sputtering around Miss Pig come into its own until the end, when gy• s head. Even in 14 million dollar enterprises, kids are invited in to work puppets "Lord Grade presents" says the opening title (wil1 11 the Simple Things are not forgotten. themselves. the next one be "Robert· Holmes a Court presents ?) and under it Animal growls ·as he ea:ts ·the MGM:-•lion The puppets (I've stopped reading the promo mat hoop around him. Zoom· · in through the fast-disapp-· erial now and can call a spade a spade) are very earing set to blue skies and a hot-air balloon VICTORIAN PUPPET COMPANY (formerly mobile in this movie, spending-a lot of their time bearing Fozzie Bear and Kermit·the ·Frog. "Does his DREAMTIME PUPPE:T THEATRE: ) Consid � getting around in vehicles. Walking them every have anything to do with the story ?11 asks Fozzie. ering ;the fact that this company has where would look pretty boring, and it's not so been in operation for ten years, and "No" says Kermit; "but it makes a great opening 1 interesting for the Props Dept. There's a little shot. 1 The titles roll on. 11Why are there so, many purports to be teaching the elements yellow cab (the black ones don't pick up puppets), credits ?11 "Well, I guess they all have families. '1 of puppetry, the poor quality of the UNIMA BLUES an Authentic London bus, and the Happiness Hotel's performance they gave is particular hippie-coated Courtesy Vehicle, in a continuous Before moving on to England, where the film was ly reprehensible0 It was a selection state of backfire. Miss Piggy hijacks a cement made the story begins on an American city street, of segments from their various shows, mixer equipped with CB radio ( "IDunhock here, any and it was mostly trash. The out a sw�et and palpably false set described by-Frank 11 1 Smokies out there ? ), and later rides to the res Oz as "Directly out of Singin _ in the Rain". It's front conversations with the audien cue of her friends on a nif'ty stunt bike, which complete with nice old ladies, genial cops, fire ce were condescending and dictatorial, she crashes through windows a la James·Bond, with insecure·schoolteacher stuff. The man hydrants and man-hole covers (man-holes are excell An organization is only as good as its communication channels. UNIMA Au t alia's blood-curdling Bruce Lee yells (or are they Bun , i,PUlation of the various glove, mouth, � : ent places from which to manipulate puppets). are pitifully under-used, to the extent that many people now· prefer to JoJ.D. the raku yells?). There are also bicycles, in a slick String and shadow puppets had no grace British German or American Centres to keep in touch with what the organization ly orchestrated ride through Battersea Park with a or precision. The content showed an Amongst the milling humans wander Kermit, Fozzie is doing around the "WOrld. There are training programmes, scholarships and crowd of human children cycling along behind. alarming poverty of imagination. Most and Gonzo, three reporters in search of a story. publications; every year a list of the world's puppet festivals is released 1 of the material is plagiarised whole They don t get one, and their bawling-out from every year a Bulletin of some 60 pages reviews UNIMA. activities but for sale from old Parry-Marshall shows, the archetypal angry editor takes place under some reason, no.ne of this reaches Australian members. that arch-archetypal half-moon w:indow we know from and done with far less charming pupp Back to the promo material again. I �hought you ets. The shadow sequence had some Hollywood is standard equipment :in every bustling What few members are left; that is. From a peak of 70 in 1979, membership might like to know who does-what in the Muppet cast. good id�as, but they had to be repeat newspaper office (except Manipulation's). dropped to 40 in mid-1981. Elections were called last year·for the positions The credits on the TV show always roll by too fast ed to fill out the rest of the taped of Australian president, secretary and treasurer - and only 19 people both to pick up that �ormation, so : ---- song, Lat er on, in Loil.don and further into the plot, ered to vote, meaning, in effect, that there are now only 19 active members left which concerns a jewel robbery, things get a lot in the association. more lavish. There are highfashion houses and JIM HENSON does Kermit, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Waldorf 1 11 and the Swedish Chef ; 1 GOLD OR GUMN1JTS Gardner Puppets stately homes and llightclubs teeming with tuxedos President Norman Hetherington believes the-problem is that the membership is ap continue to make the most of the trad and tap-dancing. 'There's also the Happiness Hotel; athetic. I suggest the problem is·not apathy, but alienation. When members wait FRANK OZ does Miss Piggy, Fozzie Be ar, Animal and itional glove puppet booth format.This outdoor shots show it's one of those big, sagging ten months from one newsletter to the next; when financial statements are issued Sam the Eagle; show uses the same combination of his old doss-houses in Holland Park favoured by poor two years late not through UNIMA., but through.the Puppetry Guild's Annual Report; torical fact, personal drama and glim American travellers; inside it's full of poor Am when letters the secretary go unanswered; when new members (this is going DAVE GOELZ does The Great Gonzo, Beauregard, Zoot of fantasy WOrlds as the earlier fu erican Muppets, the whole lurching, loaning gang. pses 11 back a bit to 1979 and 1980) are forgotten from the mailing list, which happened and DR.Bunsen Honeydew; "Under Shark Bay , but this time with twice to m� during that period ; when information from the parent organization is a tighter story and lots more pizazz. Funny thing in this movie all the Americans, even not distributed, and members must make their own contacts to get it - when com JERRY NELSON does Floyd, Pops and Lew Zealand (who?); There's a credible plot of a girl humans like' Peter Falk, are poor - little Ya.nkie munication is so erratic and uncertain, people become disenchanted. searching for her father in the Vic battlers with innocent souls - and all the English are rich, with posh accents. It's Hollywoodis Eng RICHARD HUNT does Scooter, Statler, Sweetums, Janice torian gold.fields, augmented by a and Beaker ; visit underground to a glittering UNIMA Australia has lost credibility badly over the last three years. Whatever land. world peopled by singing nuggets and potential it had to promote solidarity among Australian puppeteers has ·been squan STEVE 'WHITMIRE does Rizzo the Rat and Lips ; some very serious gumtree roots with dered. Its links with the rest of the world have become weaker, not stronger. If Miss Piggy's big scene is an Esther Williams style conservation on their minds. There are it's to survive, the executive are going to have to do some heavy mailouts to Oz water ballet. Accompanied by a brace of human bath ing beauties, amidst fountains, lights, soaring there are also extra manipulators Bob Payne; Brian clever staging devices, like shadows puppeteers to woo new members and invite old ones back; the parent organization Muehl, Mike Quinn, Robert Barnett, Hugh Spight, will have to step up its supply of information and publications, and get them to harmonies and one live goldfish, she goes through inside the tiny tent, and a crowd of Brian Henson, Louise Gold and Kathryn Muller. picks on a multiple control hacking us before they're out of date, as is often the case with announcement s of training all kinds of complex choreography, her famous nos CAROL SPINNEY, from Sesame St., made a guest appear their way round stage to Pink Floyd Is thinking a little more trils blazing bubbles. Poor Frank Oz! How he must pro�s and scholarships. All of us will have to start ance with Oscar the Gr ouch. 11 Money11 • Musical segments were always collectively. UNIMA. is an intelligent and forward-looking international assoc have suffered, to manipulate his pig underwater in that enormous pool, 80 feet long and 8 feet deep. humorous and up-beat - far from frag iation and it was the very first :international theatrical organization :in cult Only three female puppeteers? Oh baby, it's tough 1 (Ge e, this promo material is interesting. Did you menting the narrative as musical int ural history. It s a pity we're not part of it. at the top erludes can sometimes do, they comp MV know that this sequence was filmed on the same lemented it through- careful timing sound stage at EMI's Elmstree studios that housed 1 and taste, and kept the ene rgy high. Stanley Kubrick's maze set for "The Shining1 AND MV A full, fascinating, enjoyable show. 10 9 bush and beach; the vigorous humour "THE DREAM GOBBIER11 Jika-Jika like scene works very well. After that, of the script; and the irresistible to mix it with their audience. In nothing much happens, and the sets vitality of the puppeteers,especial 11 11Four Chinese Brothers they invite are never so appealing or integral to ly when they're working out front of some of them into the set to operate the·action, as the show wanders round the set. Behind the set they are 1 puppets and props. In 1 The Dream Gob the room in quest of the Dream Gobb struggling to deal with the show•s bler" they spread the set to the front ler. Hear the end, things pick up two wealmesses - puppets too• tiny and back of the room, and perfoxmers when he's found in the icy trees be for the set, and taped snatches-of and puppets travel along a central hind the audience,· because he's a foreign dialogue between which they aisle through the audience. Th.is open wild, spiky puppet played with a good must sandwich their own live (Eng sense of the manic, and because his lish) dialogue. The mix of taped and layout was refreshing and comfortable and largely saved "The Dream Gobbler" trees light up with a strange cold live speech creates too many prob glow that makes you shiver. le ms. It makes the foreign language from becoming just another cute fairy component stiff and sterile in com tale. The beginning and end of the show were interesting, but in between I think J:ika-Jika would do well to parison with the energy and immediacy throw out the soft centre of the of the English, causes embarassing it was mostly mush. The story begins at centre front, in a beautiful app kings, queens, once-upon-a-time-land ove"rlapping when the timing is not lique 1 d village-scape peopled �y great stuff and take the princess herself' spot-on, and hampers the excellent loudmouthed finger puppets. There 1 s a on the perilous journey. She's a good, opportunities for ad-libbing offerad princess who has nightmares, and we strong puppet who could carry the load by the script. The puppets are the much better than her wishy-washy mum usual exquisite Polyglot characters, are treated to a glimpse of them as Hoyts 1 promo material would have it· that "The Great she sleeps. Around her little white and- dad do. I'd also like-to see her 1 the final confrontation between Luke Skywalker soft-sculpture glove and rod puppets Muppet Caper" has a 1 Distinotive best-of.;;;the movies" bed, alone in an all-black set, hover dreaming some sweet dreams at the very 1 and Darth Vader in 11The Empire StrikeS Back" ? in various ethnic costumes and Star look about it, but 1 Tackiest-of-the-movies" would be 1 mad tea-cups and wobbly green demons, end, rather than the dull, dreamless Wow.) It s heartening for those involved in rather Child, the silver glove puppet, 'but a more accurate description� As the·Muppet·Show par less big-budget puppet productions to note that worked from rods through slits in the sleep ,she appears to settle into. It odied the style of TV variety shows, this second they tend to look a bit lost in the hardly seems worth all the trouble, the crowning effect of thl.s ·elaborate scene was a vast new set. The set doesn't really black screen behind. They're a bit Muppet film sends �p classic movie clic�es;. menacing, a bit whimsical, and the otherwisEl. halo of 50,i sparklers sputtering around Miss Pig come into its own until the end, when gy• s head. Even in 14 million dollar enterprises, kids are invited in to work puppets "Lord Grade presents" says the opening title (wil1 11 the Simple Things are not forgotten. themselves. the next one be "Robert· Holmes a Court presents ?) and under it Animal growls ·as he ea:ts ·the MGM:-•lion The puppets (I've stopped reading the promo mat hoop around him. Zoom· · in through the fast-disapp-· erial now and can call a spade a spade) are very earing set to blue skies and a hot-air balloon VICTORIAN PUPPET COMPANY (formerly mobile in this movie, spending-a lot of their time bearing Fozzie Bear and Kermit·the ·Frog. "Does his DREAMTIME PUPPE:T THEATRE: ) Consid � getting around in vehicles. Walking them every have anything to do with the story ?11 asks Fozzie. ering ;the fact that this company has where would look pretty boring, and it's not so been in operation for ten years, and "No" says Kermit; "but it makes a great opening 1 interesting for the Props Dept. There's a little shot. 1 The titles roll on. 11Why are there so, many purports to be teaching the elements yellow cab (the black ones don't pick up puppets), credits ?11 "Well, I guess they all have families. '1 of puppetry, the poor quality of the UNIMA BLUES an Authentic London bus, and the Happiness Hotel's performance they gave is particular hippie-coated Courtesy Vehicle, in a continuous Before moving on to England, where the film was ly reprehensible0 It was a selection state of backfire. Miss Piggy hijacks a cement made the story begins on an American city street, of segments from their various shows, mixer equipped with CB radio ( "IDunhock here, any and it was mostly trash. The out a sw�et and palpably false set described by-Frank 11 1 Smokies out there ? ), and later rides to the res Oz as "Directly out of Singin _ in the Rain". It's front conversations with the audien cue of her friends on a nif'ty stunt bike, which complete with nice old ladies, genial cops, fire ce were condescending and dictatorial, she crashes through windows a la James·Bond, with insecure·schoolteacher stuff. The man hydrants and man-hole covers (man-holes are excell An organization is only as good as its communication channels. UNIMA Au t alia's blood-curdling Bruce Lee yells (or are they Bun , i,PUlation of the various glove, mouth, � : ent places from which to manipulate puppets). are pitifully under-used, to the extent that many people now· prefer to JoJ.D. the raku yells?). There are also bicycles, in a slick String and shadow puppets had no grace British German or American Centres to keep in touch with what the organization ly orchestrated ride through Battersea Park with a or precision. The content showed an Amongst the milling humans wander Kermit, Fozzie is doing around the "WOrld. There are training programmes, scholarships and crowd of human children cycling along behind. alarming poverty of imagination. Most and Gonzo, three reporters in search of a story. publications; every year a list of the world's puppet festivals is released 1 of the material is plagiarised whole They don t get one, and their bawling-out from every year a Bulletin of some 60 pages reviews UNIMA. activities but for sale from old Parry-Marshall shows, the archetypal angry editor takes place under some reason, no.ne of this reaches Australian members. that arch-archetypal half-moon w:indow we know from and done with far less charming pupp Back to the promo material again. I �hought you ets. The shadow sequence had some Hollywood is standard equipment :in every bustling What few members are left; that is. From a peak of 70 in 1979, membership might like to know who does-what in the Muppet cast. good id�as, but they had to be repeat newspaper office (except Manipulation's). dropped to 40 in mid-1981. Elections were called last year·for the positions The credits on the TV show always roll by too fast ed to fill out the rest of the taped of Australian president, secretary and treasurer - and only 19 people both to pick up that �ormation, so : ---- song, Lat er on, in Loil.don and further into the plot, ered to vote, meaning, in effect, that there are now only 19 active members left which concerns a jewel robbery, things get a lot in the association. more lavish. There are highfashion houses and JIM HENSON does Kermit, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Waldorf 1 11 and the Swedish Chef ; 1 GOLD OR GUMN1JTS Gardner Puppets stately homes and llightclubs teeming with tuxedos President Norman Hetherington believes the-problem is that the membership is ap continue to make the most of the trad and tap-dancing. 'There's also the Happiness Hotel; athetic. I suggest the problem is·not apathy, but alienation. When members wait FRANK OZ does Miss Piggy, Fozzie Be ar, Animal and itional glove puppet booth format.This outdoor shots show it's one of those big, sagging ten months from one newsletter to the next; when financial statements are issued Sam the Eagle; show uses the same combination of his old doss-houses in Holland Park favoured by poor two years late not through UNIMA., but through.the Puppetry Guild's Annual Report; torical fact, personal drama and glim American travellers; inside it's full of poor Am when letters the secretary go unanswered; when new members (this is going DAVE GOELZ does The Great Gonzo, Beauregard, Zoot of fantasy WOrlds as the earlier fu erican Muppets, the whole lurching, loaning gang. pses 11 back a bit to 1979 and 1980) are forgotten from the mailing list, which happened and DR.Bunsen Honeydew; "Under Shark Bay , but this time with twice to m� during that period ; when information from the parent organization is a tighter story and lots more pizazz. Funny thing in this movie all the Americans, even not distributed, and members must make their own contacts to get it - when com JERRY NELSON does Floyd, Pops and Lew Zealand (who?); There's a credible plot of a girl humans like' Peter Falk, are poor - little Ya.nkie munication is so erratic and uncertain, people become disenchanted. searching for her father in the Vic battlers with innocent souls - and all the English are rich, with posh accents. It's Hollywoodis Eng RICHARD HUNT does Scooter, Statler, Sweetums, Janice torian gold.fields, augmented by a and Beaker ; visit underground to a glittering UNIMA Australia has lost credibility badly over the last three years. Whatever land. world peopled by singing nuggets and potential it had to promote solidarity among Australian puppeteers has ·been squan STEVE 'WHITMIRE does Rizzo the Rat and Lips ; some very serious gumtree roots with dered. Its links with the rest of the world have become weaker, not stronger. If Miss Piggy's big scene is an Esther Williams style conservation on their minds. There are it's to survive, the executive are going to have to do some heavy mailouts to Oz water ballet. Accompanied by a brace of human bath ing beauties, amidst fountains, lights, soaring there are also extra manipulators Bob Payne; Brian clever staging devices, like shadows puppeteers to woo new members and invite old ones back; the parent organization Muehl, Mike Quinn, Robert Barnett, Hugh Spight, will have to step up its supply of information and publications, and get them to harmonies and one live goldfish, she goes through inside the tiny tent, and a crowd of Brian Henson, Louise Gold and Kathryn Muller. picks on a multiple control hacking us before they're out of date, as is often the case with announcement s of training all kinds of complex choreography, her famous nos CAROL SPINNEY, from Sesame St., made a guest appear their way round stage to Pink Floyd Is thinking a little more trils blazing bubbles. Poor Frank Oz! How he must pro�s and scholarships. All of us will have to start ance with Oscar the Gr ouch. 11 Money11 • Musical segments were always collectively. UNIMA. is an intelligent and forward-looking international assoc have suffered, to manipulate his pig underwater in that enormous pool, 80 feet long and 8 feet deep. humorous and up-beat - far from frag iation and it was the very first :international theatrical organization :in cult Only three female puppeteers? Oh baby, it's tough 1 (Ge e, this promo material is interesting. Did you menting the narrative as musical int ural history. It s a pity we're not part of it. at the top erludes can sometimes do, they comp MV know that this sequence was filmed on the same lemented it through- careful timing sound stage at EMI's Elmstree studios that housed 1 and taste, and kept the ene rgy high. Stanley Kubrick's maze set for "The Shining1 AND MV A full, fascinating, enjoyable show. 10 9 the puppeteer. There are no distract ions. Each puppet, mask, costume must be strong enough to hold the imagin ation without scenery. Colours are carefully considered, to give each act "' its own style •

1 ••• 11 The colours of The Tango' had to be red and black, passionate, with white masks to add anonymity, and an androgynous quality. I find really The one man is NEVILLE TRANTER, and STUFFED PUPPETS is the Australian audiences won't be seeing it, as Neville is re stylistic things work well in just company he started in Melbourne in 1978. The show was his turning to Amsterdam, where he has made his home for the two colours.n first solo performance, and the first tryout of a series last three years.. of new pieces he has been developing over the past year. "The Seduction",on the other hand, is This article by CATE SHA.RP draws on her reactions to the multi-coloured. The Seduc er is dressed Judging by the response of the 90 guests who crowded Hand show and interview mater�al to give an insight into Nev in raw, garish yellows, greens and red span's studio on December 20th for the preview the show ille's working methods and the sources of his inspiration. - using everything she's got to achieve is a winner, and the move to solo is the right'one. Sadly, Photos by PONCH HAWKES.© her aim. When Neville appears out front as pupp eteer he is dressed in a white body stocking, starkly visible against the Neville has been in Melbourne since black background. last May, performing in "Fairground Snapz" at the Last Laugh, presenting The strength of the imagery begins on with bis partner Wouter Swart segments 1 paper. Neville begins always with the from Stuffed s puppetry repertoire. eyes when designing a puppet or mask.

11 11 The sketches develop until the essence Snapz long 8-month run afforded him of the character is grasped. He makes the time and money to work on his own all his own puppets, never limiting show without the pressures of touring himself to any_ particular medium or he normally experiences in Holland., style of manipulation. Often the res ult is physically different to the It also required him to sing and dance, drawings, but the essence is always without puppets, and the opportunity to preserved.. develop his own stage presence has en couraged him to add more out-front acts to his own show. Sound is sometimes taped music, some times live voice. ·Often the sound of ••• "I'd like eventually to have a show breathing is used to·build up·inter est in-the approaching puppet. Or in where I don't go behind a 11 screen at all 11 - doing 11Fall'ground Snapz has giv�n me the case of The Beast" Neville is confidence in not just making the pupp seated, holding the puppet in his lap et the strong thing on stage, but in me and joined to it by a clear plastic as well having a strong pres·ence at tube; through the tube he is actually breathing for the beast and breathing times. To me, the puppetee r has always11 been just as important as the puppet. into it the excitement of the act. When considering new material Neville Neville stresses the importance of regards contrast and balance as prim pace to complement the imagery. arily important. Pieces are tried, and if they don't work in the context of ••• "Sometimes I do an act for 2 years. the performance they are dropped. The It's working all right, then one night rhythm of the whole show must remain I'll pace it differently and it's so constant. Therfore, when a serious much better •• -•• It takes time to create piece is dropped it is replaced by a some moods - aiming for a feeling of serious piece, and similarly with a mystery, for 11 example, needs almost comic piece. slow mot ion. ••• "New material comes into the show One of his maxims of pace and rhythm for different reasons. Most performers is to balance movement with stillness have a new show fNery one or two years. to give strength to both, It 1 s a pressured routine. Most of this And it works. The puppet is tied down. The act involves the cat attempting show is new material, because I felt I Neville produces material that is uni The puppeteer is oblivious, seemingly, suicide and failing, greatly distress had to take a new show back with me to versal in content, visually assaulting as it gnaws at itself, chewing itself ing the man, who feels he may also Holland." and emotive; he is not into politics to pieces to gain :freedom. Finally, fail. When he does attempt it he grabs or verbosity. Working this way he is unable to bear it any longer, the hold of the set and won't let go. The not limited to the type or national beast leaps, pulling the tube from the cat comes to the rescue, picks him up One of Neville's major fears is becom 1 ing predictable. He l:ikes to build up ity of audience to whom he can perform. puppeteer s ·mouth. The breathing being and drops him into the water. The cat an audience's expectations and then done for the puppet is stopped: in looks at the audience, resigned, and add something to really surprise them. His motivation for devising pieces is stant death.. walks away as depressed as when it various. "The Beast11 climaxes in self arrived. Between acts he is visible preparing 11 for the next piece. This gives relief destruction and is performed blind The Suicide" is a consciously devised to the intensity of his performance folded. piece of black comedy. A Leunig-in "Matilda" is a piece of social comment while building up expectation about spired man on a bridge contemplating about old age and dying. It's a mono the act to follow. •• • 11 I love horror. I wanted to terrify suicide is joined by a cat with the logue delivered by an old woman puppet. an audience. The puppet is so: alive, same idea.. The man has a weight tied The pace is slow as she talks about the 1 ••• 1 I•m always terrified of finding no so menacing, and the audience can see to his neck, the cat, tins of pet food. "old persons home" where she waits for death, and fantasizes about a lover who new ideas, that a reviewer will say you I'm blind. I'm controlling·it, but I •••11 I I had been reading The Official is an angel. Comic lines_ are· delivered. don't get surprised anymore." can't see what I'm doing. That1 was the idea I wanted to play with. 1 Cat-Haters Book' 11. ,., quickly"and crisply, adding contrast tq the pathos and slowness. The set used is all black. All attent 12 ion is focussed on the puppet and/or the puppeteer. There are no distract ions. Each puppet, mask, costume must be strong enough to hold the imagin ation without scenery. Colours are carefully considered, to give each act "' its own style •

11 11 The sketches develop until the essence Snapz long 8-month run afforded him of the character is grasped. He makes the time and money to work on his own all his own puppets, never limiting show without the pressures of touring himself to any_ particular medium or he normally experiences in Holland., style of manipulation. Often the res ult is physically different to the It also required him to sing and dance, drawings, but the essence is always without puppets, and the opportunity to preserved.. develop his own stage presence has en couraged him to add more out-front acts to his own show. Sound is sometimes taped music, some times live voice. ·Often the sound of ••• "I'd like eventually to have a show breathing is used to·build up·inter est in-the approaching puppet. Or in where I don't go behind a 11 screen at all 11 - doing 11Fall'ground Snapz has giv�n me the case of The Beast" Neville is confidence in not just making the pupp seated, holding the puppet in his lap et the strong thing on stage, but in me and joined to it by a clear plastic as well having a strong pres·ence at tube; through the tube he is actually breathing for the beast and breathing times. To me, the puppetee r has always11 been just as important as the puppet. into it the excitement of the act. When considering new material Neville Neville stresses the importance of regards contrast and balance as prim pace to complement the imagery. arily important. Pieces are tried, and if they don't work in the context of ••• "Sometimes I do an act for 2 years. the performance they are dropped. The It's working all right, then one night rhythm of the whole show must remain I'll pace it differently and it's so constant. Therfore, when a serious much better •• -•• It takes time to create piece is dropped it is replaced by a some moods - aiming for a feeling of serious piece, and similarly with a mystery, for 11 example, needs almost comic piece. slow mot ion. ••• "New material comes into the show One of his maxims of pace and rhythm for different reasons. Most performers is to balance movement with stillness have a new show fNery one or two years. to give strength to both, It 1 s a pressured routine. Most of this And it works. The puppet is tied down. The act involves the cat attempting show is new material, because I felt I Neville produces material that is uni The puppeteer is oblivious, seemingly, suicide and failing, greatly distress had to take a new show back with me to versal in content, visually assaulting as it gnaws at itself, chewing itself ing the man, who feels he may also Holland." and emotive; he is not into politics to pieces to gain :freedom. Finally, fail. When he does attempt it he grabs or verbosity. Working this way he is unable to bear it any longer, the hold of the set and won't let go. The not limited to the type or national beast leaps, pulling the tube from the cat comes to the rescue, picks him up One of Neville's major fears is becom 1 ing predictable. He l:ikes to build up ity of audience to whom he can perform. puppeteer s ·mouth. The breathing being and drops him into the water. The cat an audience's expectations and then done for the puppet is stopped: in looks at the audience, resigned, and add something to really surprise them. His motivation for devising pieces is stant death.. walks away as depressed as when it various. "The Beast11 climaxes in self arrived. Between acts he is visible preparing 11 for the next piece. This gives relief destruction and is performed blind The Suicide" is a consciously devised to the intensity of his performance folded. piece of black comedy. A Leunig-in "Matilda" is a piece of social comment while building up expectation about spired man on a bridge contemplating about old age and dying. It's a mono the act to follow. •• • 11 I love horror. I wanted to terrify suicide is joined by a cat with the logue delivered by an old woman puppet. an audience. The puppet is so: alive, same idea.. The man has a weight tied The pace is slow as she talks about the 1 ••• 1 I•m always terrified of finding no so menacing, and the audience can see to his neck, the cat, tins of pet food. "old persons home" where she waits for death, and fantasizes about a lover who new ideas, that a reviewer will say you I'm blind. I'm controlling·it, but I •••11 I I had been reading The Official is an angel. Comic lines_ are· delivered. don't get surprised anymore." can't see what I'm doing. That1 was the idea I wanted to play with. 1 Cat-Haters Book' 11. ,., quickly"and crisply, adding contrast tq the pathos and slowness. The set used is all black. All attent 12 ion is focussed on the puppet and/or Viledon M ., •• 11 Some things a.re planned, 1 in others come only when I m · Also kno-wn as fusible webbing or front of an audience. I wor:k spider• s web. Available in sheets ed a long time on Matilda. I size 40 x·88 cm. watched old people, studied mannerisms, u:i:t.til. I had a Effective, tough-bond for fabric to script,but I had no voice fabric in most cases. Washable. Use for her. The voice just came ful for applique, ribbon trims, of its own accord :in perfol'lll joining pieces of fabric (abutting ance, and it felt right, so two pieces with a joining piece at I'll keep it., " the back).

When Neville returns to Am If you have a fabric that is too sterdam he will continue to flimsy, a piece of ca1ico can be work on the show, tighten:tng fused onto the back. Fusing is and adding material, keeping achieved with a hot iron. it to the roughly one-hour length he prefers. Price: $2.99 / 40 x 88cm. shee t Ava:i.lability: Most haberdasheries As a one-inan show with a sim ple, basic set, he hopes to be a good economic proposit Profes�or Technocat Viledon M: Hemming Tape ion for 11 legit theatre". His and King Ozone of Same as for above. Comes in 5metre first engagement in "one of the planet Rect lengths by approximately 1 inch. those theatres" is in March, angular - 11D eep 11 Useful in finishing raw edges ., and Space Bungle • 1982., Hopefully, the new stiffening edges. show will attract press rev iews nationally, something which has rarely happened in Price: $1.37 / pkt. 1 Availability: most haberdasheries. the last three years. In January the OUTLA..·rnYSHE PUPPET THEATRE presented "Deep Space Bungle", in which the audience was kidnapped by a renegade compute r. We used the Star Ceiling Theatre, the Wholesale: Before this visit to Austral Life Education Centre's "classroom of the future", at the Wayside Chapel in Sydney. I Birch Haberdashery Wholesalers ia Neville worked with var 153 Bridge Road Richmond Vic. ious partners performing in The theatre's layout and teaching technology suggested the idea of a space-flight sim Phone: 429 4944· fringe theatres and youth ulation. The room has a pit for the audience to sit in, an optic fibre star ceiling, a ·Price: Vileda M Sl.86 / sheet clubs all over Holland. Dutch superb sound system and a double slide projector/variable dissolve unit. Hemming ta.pe $0. 86 each government policy allows for ( available in boxes of 10) eign artists to work there The Chapel's sound studio, where we produced the soundtrack, is equipped with some of without a -..«>rk permit, as is the latest sound effect gear. A stereo equalize r modified sounds to simulate voices on SOME GLUES AND OTHER ADHESIVES 11 necessary :tn most other coun the telephone and music from a transistor radio. An analog delay 11mechanised voices FOR MAKING PUPPETS AND Mll.SKS : Resins tries. With his manager he to create the kind of computer voices used on the BBC's "Hitch-hiker's Guide to the established a network for Galaxy''. Delays and repeats could be varied to produce bizarre effects, such as when Daystar make several useful resins. publicity and getting wrk the computer's power ran down. The advantage of the analog was that any character They are available in 250ml, 500ml, which includ�d Gail Pilgrim's voice could be given to the computer without having to adopt the flat monotone usually l litre and 4 litre containers. agency, Kinesis (see October associated with computer voices. M.A.C. issue), the Schaffy Theatre Re sin is excellent for sealing hard in Amsterdam and the Vielrohr. Combining technology and puppetry we were able to transpor t a puppe t seen in a slide Padkaged in 50ml tubes. A very effect surfaces and for composite glueing. ive gl�e on wood, leather, perspex, The Schaffy assists new perf on a screen down from the screen and into a telepor tation booth from which the real Gel-grip For example, resin can be used in card and celluloid. Dries to a clear, orming groups by mailing out puppet entered for live performance. The physical layout of the building often disor stead of Aqu.adhere in building up hard finish. The tube should always be the fin.al surface of tissue or thell" publicity material free ients people leaving the room, and we used this to advantage for a surprise ending. 1 kept sealed, as the glue goes off very Made by Selle y s, this is another for two yea.rs. The Vielrob.r fabric over a mould. This gives a quickly. Very good for instant mending effective contact adhesive which is pub�ishes a free bi-annual It was in:teresting to be able to experiment with all the technology, but having once harder, less pliable surface when and sealing off string, cotton, etc. readily available• It has similar magazine which lists, also produced a puppet play about run-away technology, I think for the next production we removing. properties to Kwik-Grip, but is easie r · .for-free, children 1 s and ad might just go back to kazoos and whistles on harmonica holders. Price: $1. 10 per 50ml tube. to handle because, as the-name implies, _·u1t1 s theatre groups & their Dennis Murphy Care should be taken when using Availability: Model Dockyard, it is a gel. Very·good for bonding fees and requirements, for resin, as it is necessary to use a 216· Swanston St. MELE. smooth surfaces - plastic, rubber, distribution to youth clubs catalyst. Too much or too little Phone 663 3505 or 663 4792 masonite, perspex, felt,etc. It is not and schools. will Canse problems. Excessive use absorbed by heavy fabrics as easily as of catalyst can cause the resin to Kw:i.k-Grip. ., Now, as before, N-eville and 450 explode his manager will handle the Ill I I I I I I I IIIIIIIIIIIIII I I I I II IIIIIIIIIIIIIII I I I II Ill lllllllllllll Price: $1.50 / 50ml tube publicity, but with a diff Solvent (acetone) is necessary for Miss Piggy's message to the puppeteers Following on Kim Royle' s notes on 450 Availability: Hard.ware & dept. stores cleaning equipment when using resin. erence. A little more money in the June iss�e: means better looking, better of the world broke up the Vic.Guild meeting last wednesday. We were watch In Melbourne it is available in 50ml Prices:* quality publicity. Already a 1 continuity of work has been ing "HERE COME THE PUPPETS! 1 a TV and 100ml tubes, and in500ml tins. Liquid Nails RESIN CATALYST 1 special made by station WQED Pitts organized for Neville s re 250ml / $2. 66 25ml / $1.20 burgh during the 19 80 Washington Fest The Text,ile Factory, Cecil St.Fitz:roy turn, and th� future looks 1 500ml / ival. A copy was very kindly sent to always have the tubes. Phone 419 �188. Another Selley s product. This glue $4.49 100m1 / s3. 30 promising. makes an excellent-bond under-stress. 4 litres / 26. 55 Axel Axelrad by Jim Henson, for screen Cyril J.Preston (wholesaler) at 9 ing to Australian puppeteers. The tape It can be used to join polystyrene ••• 11I ve always wanted to 258 Flinders Lane also carries it. SOLVENT : 500ml / $2.90 is available for loan to other Guild and urethane foams, aluminium, hard work solo, but neve r before Phone 63 7062 . board - in fact, most anything I have 4 litres / $10. 50 branches and interested groups. It's a It's also got a lot of laughs, and it's felt I was ready. Circum come across. Not overly priced for well-made documentary of many of the hosted by Henson and Kermit. Axel has Price: 500ml tin - $6.30 + 17½% tax stance has forced me into it, its capabilities. Requires 24 hours Availability: Daystar Pty. Ltd., performances se en at the festival, and dubbed it from the American system onto 100ml tube - approx. $2.99 because my partner wanted to to come to full strength. Excess can 55 Little LaTrobe st. leave." also contains some thoughtful inter VHF tape. 50ml tube - " $2. 00 MELBOURNE views with leading puppeteers. It's be cleaned away with acetone. Borrowers to cover freight costs. Phone: 347 s677 got TRIANGEL, BABSINHAZ, BREAD & PUP In Sydney 450 is manufactured by the Well done circumstance ! Contact Axel Axelrad: Coonara Road, Price: $2. 25 / 100ml tube PETS, SHA.RI IEWIS, BURR TILSTROM, Metropolitan Chemical Co. (Metrochem)· 0 LINDA VIC 3788 Availability: Hardware & dept. stores *all D aystar products are about to DRAK, PUK, BRUCE SCHWARTZ, PERCY PRESS xandria. They are always helpful Cate Sharp Phone (03) 751 1144 in Ale increase in price. and as they say on TV - many others. as to outlets. 13 14 Viledon M ., •• 11 Some things a.re planned, 1 in others come only when I m · Also kno-wn as fusible webbing or front of an audience. I wor:k spider• s web. Available in sheets ed a long time on Matilda. I size 40 x·88 cm. watched old people, studied mannerisms, u:i:t.til. I had a Effective, tough-bond for fabric to script,but I had no voice fabric in most cases. Washable. Use for her. The voice just came ful for applique, ribbon trims, of its own accord :in perfol'lll joining pieces of fabric (abutting ance, and it felt right, so two pieces with a joining piece at I'll keep it., " the back).

When Neville returns to Am If you have a fabric that is too sterdam he will continue to flimsy, a piece of ca1ico can be work on the show, tighten:tng fused onto the back. Fusing is and adding material, keeping achieved with a hot iron. it to the roughly one-hour length he prefers. Price: $2.99 / 40 x 88cm. shee t Ava:i.lability: Most haberdasheries As a one-inan show with a sim ple, basic set, he hopes to be a good economic proposit Profes�or Technocat Viledon M: Hemming Tape ion for 11 legit theatre". His and King Ozone of Same as for above. Comes in 5metre first engagement in "one of the planet Rect lengths by approximately 1 inch. those theatres" is in March, angular - 11D eep 11 Useful in finishing raw edges ., and Space Bungle • 1982., Hopefully, the new stiffening edges. show will attract press rev iews nationally, something which has rarely happened in Price: $1.37 / pkt. 1 Availability: most haberdasheries. the last three years. In January the OUTLA..·rnYSHE PUPPET THEATRE presented "Deep Space Bungle", in which the audience was kidnapped by a renegade compute r. We used the Star Ceiling Theatre, the Wholesale: Before this visit to Austral Life Education Centre's "classroom of the future", at the Wayside Chapel in Sydney. I Birch Haberdashery Wholesalers ia Neville worked with var 153 Bridge Road Richmond Vic. ious partners performing in The theatre's layout and teaching technology suggested the idea of a space-flight sim Phone: 429 4944· fringe theatres and youth ulation. The room has a pit for the audience to sit in, an optic fibre star ceiling, a ·Price: Vileda M Sl.86 / sheet clubs all over Holland. Dutch superb sound system and a double slide projector/variable dissolve unit. Hemming ta.pe $0. 86 each government policy allows for ( available in boxes of 10) eign artists to work there The Chapel's sound studio, where we produced the soundtrack, is equipped with some of without a -..«>rk permit, as is the latest sound effect gear. A stereo equalize r modified sounds to simulate voices on SOME GLUES AND OTHER ADHESIVES 11 necessary :tn most other coun the telephone and music from a transistor radio. An analog delay 11mechanised voices FOR MAKING PUPPETS AND Mll.SKS : Resins tries. With his manager he to create the kind of computer voices used on the BBC's "Hitch-hiker's Guide to the established a network for Galaxy''. Delays and repeats could be varied to produce bizarre effects, such as when Daystar make several useful resins. publicity and getting wrk the computer's power ran down. The advantage of the analog was that any character They are available in 250ml, 500ml, which includ�d Gail Pilgrim's voice could be given to the computer without having to adopt the flat monotone usually l litre and 4 litre containers. agency, Kinesis (see October associated with computer voices. M.A.C. issue), the Schaffy Theatre Re sin is excellent for sealing hard in Amsterdam and the Vielrohr. Combining technology and puppetry we were able to transpor t a puppe t seen in a slide Padkaged in 50ml tubes. A very effect surfaces and for composite glueing. ive gl�e on wood, leather, perspex, The Schaffy assists new perf on a screen down from the screen and into a telepor tation booth from which the real Gel-grip For example, resin can be used in card and celluloid. Dries to a clear, orming groups by mailing out puppet entered for live performance. The physical layout of the building often disor stead of Aqu.adhere in building up hard finish. The tube should always be the fin.al surface of tissue or thell" publicity material free ients people leaving the room, and we used this to advantage for a surprise ending. 1 kept sealed, as the glue goes off very Made by Selle y s, this is another for two yea.rs. The Vielrob.r fabric over a mould. This gives a quickly. Very good for instant mending effective contact adhesive which is pub�ishes a free bi-annual It was in:teresting to be able to experiment with all the technology, but having once harder, less pliable surface when and sealing off string, cotton, etc. readily available• It has similar magazine which lists, also produced a puppet play about run-away technology, I think for the next production we removing. properties to Kwik-Grip, but is easie r · .for-free, children 1 s and ad might just go back to kazoos and whistles on harmonica holders. Price: $1. 10 per 50ml tube. to handle because, as the-name implies, _·u1t1 s theatre groups & their Dennis Murphy Care should be taken when using Availability: Model Dockyard, it is a gel. Very·good for bonding fees and requirements, for resin, as it is necessary to use a 216· Swanston St. MELE. smooth surfaces - plastic, rubber, distribution to youth clubs catalyst. Too much or too little Phone 663 3505 or 663 4792 masonite, perspex, felt,etc. It is not and schools. will Canse problems. Excessive use absorbed by heavy fabrics as easily as of catalyst can cause the resin to Kw:i.k-Grip. ., Now, as before, N-eville and 450 explode his manager will handle the Ill I I I I I I I IIIIIIIIIIIIII I I I I II IIIIIIIIIIIIIII I I I II Ill lllllllllllll Price: $1.50 / 50ml tube publicity, but with a diff Solvent (acetone) is necessary for Miss Piggy's message to the puppeteers Following on Kim Royle' s notes on 450 Availability: Hard.ware & dept. stores cleaning equipment when using resin. erence. A little more money in the June iss�e: means better looking, better of the world broke up the Vic.Guild meeting last wednesday. We were watch In Melbourne it is available in 50ml Prices:* quality publicity. Already a 1 continuity of work has been ing "HERE COME THE PUPPETS! 1 a TV and 100ml tubes, and in500ml tins. Liquid Nails RESIN CATALYST 1 special made by station WQED Pitts organized for Neville s re 250ml / $2. 66 25ml / $1.20 burgh during the 19 80 Washington Fest The Text,ile Factory, Cecil St.Fitz:roy turn, and th� future looks 1 500ml / ival. A copy was very kindly sent to always have the tubes. Phone 419 �188. Another Selley s product. This glue $4.49 100m1 / s3. 30 promising. makes an excellent-bond under-stress. 4 litres / 26. 55 Axel Axelrad by Jim Henson, for screen Cyril J.Preston (wholesaler) at 9 ing to Australian puppeteers. The tape It can be used to join polystyrene ••• 11I ve always wanted to 258 Flinders Lane also carries it. SOLVENT : 500ml / $2.90 is available for loan to other Guild and urethane foams, aluminium, hard work solo, but neve r before Phone 63 7062 . board - in fact, most anything I have 4 litres / $10. 50 branches and interested groups. It's a It's also got a lot of laughs, and it's felt I was ready. Circum come across. Not overly priced for well-made documentary of many of the hosted by Henson and Kermit. Axel has Price: 500ml tin - $6.30 + 17½% tax stance has forced me into it, its capabilities. Requires 24 hours Availability: Daystar Pty. Ltd., performances se en at the festival, and dubbed it from the American system onto 100ml tube - approx. $2.99 because my partner wanted to to come to full strength. Excess can 55 Little LaTrobe st. leave." also contains some thoughtful inter VHF tape. 50ml tube - " $2. 00 MELBOURNE views with leading puppeteers. It's be cleaned away with acetone. Borrowers to cover freight costs. Phone: 347 s677 got TRIANGEL, BABSINHAZ, BREAD & PUP In Sydney 450 is manufactured by the Well done circumstance ! Contact Axel Axelrad: Coonara Road, Price: $2. 25 / 100ml tube PETS, SHA.RI IEWIS, BURR TILSTROM, Metropolitan Chemical Co. (Metrochem)· 0 LINDA VIC 3788 Availability: Hardware & dept. stores *all D aystar products are about to DRAK, PUK, BRUCE SCHWARTZ, PERCY PRESS xandria. They are always helpful Cate Sharp Phone (03) 751 1144 in Ale increase in price. and as they say on TV - many others. as to outlets. 13 14 ------WHAT'S ON�· Melbourne Adelaide Handspan Theatre & Mushroom Troupe: CIRCUS OZ: BOMBORA 8.00pm March 6, 7, 10 - 14, 17 - 21 opening 13 March, two-week season Alexander Theatre, Monash University Rymill Park Enquiries: 376 7364

Jika-Jika Handspa.n Theatre: FOUR CHINESE BROTHERS AHEAD OF TlME - ETERNITY ( working title) 2.00pm Suns. March 7, 14, 21 Elder Park Late Show, 11.00pm, April 28 - May 8 Wed. - Sat. 10. 30am Sats. March 13 and 20 Anthill Theatre, T-Tree Plaza 199·Napier St. South Melbourne Enquiries: 699 3253

Handspan Theatre: THE BUNYIP OF BERKELEY'S CREEK Handspan Theatre: 11.00am Weds. March 10 and 17 JANDY MAIJJNE & THE 9 O'CLOCK TIGER Elder Park 2.00pm Sat. May 8, 15 and 22 11. 00pm and 2. OOpm May 10 - 21, Mon. - Fri. JANDY MAIJJNE & THE 9 O'CIDCK TIGER Anthill Theatre, 1.30pm March 10 - 10 199 Napier St. South Melbourne A.MP Theatrette, Enquiries: 699 3253 .AMP Building, l King William St.

B1SPELL Performance Troupe 11. 00am Thu.rs. March 11 and 18 Sydney ·Elder Park Outlandyshe Puppet Theatre: ANGIERFISH BALLET 2.00pm commencing March 13, indefinite season, Sats. only Hobart Wayside Chapel Theatre, BLACK THEATRE OF PRAGUE 29 Hughes St. Potts Point March 8 - 13 Enqull'ies: 358 6148 Theatre Royal, Hobart

I ::::•••• ...••••••• : .....•••••••,, •.••...... ••••••••••••••...•••••••...... ••••

::::::ilFLASHLIGHTS••••••••• iiM••••••••••••••••••••••••••••:::::::g•• e e • PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT * LIGHTJNG DESIGN * THEATRE PHOTOGRAPHY ••• • ••• •e •• Comprehensive technical Photographic futerpretation of ••• production service for performance, plus all publicity, ••• all live performance: rehearsal and production process • • • music - drama - dance. photography. • • ••• • •••••• SERVICES AVAILABLE SEPARATELY OR COMBJNED * FEES NEGOTIABIE •• •• ••• ••• Registered office: 43 Rathmmes Street, Fairfield Vic. 3078 ·• •• • • • Phone Fred Wallace or Katrina Koning on 489 6404 all hours • ••• • • • • ••