Thingumablog

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T16:59:00.005Z

Two days after the big show and I'm only just starting to feel among the living again.

This was the fifth consecutive year I was the performance director of the Liverpool Halloween Lantern Carnival. This job means working very closely with Artistic Director Jo Pocock to create the story and briefs for all the different performance groups. This year I worked with 9 groups of theatre students and theatre artists, a group of dancers, a choir and a handful of professionals--probably about a 150 performers. And I also worked closely with the giant puppet makers, light designer and sound designer.

It's a very big project which needs to come together very quickly and I'm always slightly in awe that it does. The big day for me is the rehearsal day. Even though I've meet with each of the groups once outside of the big on-site rehearsal, I have a short window to pull it all together in the park the day before. This year, I was actively directing for 7 and half hours. Then ended up doing the light tech until 2:30am!

There was an estimated 20,000 at the event--quite a bit more than the 10-15,000 of previous years. It's a bit overwhelming actually as you can't really do anything except fireworks which everyone can see.

This year, we had four simultaneous stages which performed more or less the same finale so more people can see but even then, there were probably thousands of people who had no idea there was a finale going on. While I was in the booth trying to call the show people kept coming up to me and asking whether there was a fireworks display.

Still despite the long hours and incredible stress in the last few days, it's very satisfying to be able to put it all together in the end. At a certain point, I just have to trust my first impulse and give direction very quickly and move on to the next thing and trust that the culmination of all the small choices will come together as a unified whole. Probably the toughest job I do all year and therefore, one of the most satisfying.

These are photos by Mark Loudon. A more complete set is HERE. The event was designed by Jo Pocock and Ewan Hunter; the dog Hungry Ghost giant puppet is by Eilidh Bryan, the long-necked Hungry Ghost is by Mandy Dyke and fire-drawing and pyro is by Gavin Lewery.

PUJA video

2011-08-03T00:35:00.004+01:00

Here's a really lovely video from PUJA the event, I directed for LUXe last weekend in Ireland. It's just put together by an audience member but it really captures the magical mood of that place at dusk and us with our odd characters and rituals. (Though not sure about the backing music she chose--makes it feel like an advert for something. Actual show had odd bird soundscape, a choir and a klezmer band.)

It was a fantastic week working with a great team of artist. The response for the show has been very good and we're already starting to talk about our next collaboration--can't wait!

PUJA at Fort Dunree, Co Donegal, Ireland

2011-07-14T20:19:00.006+01:00

Here are some fantastic PR photos of the event I'll be directing next week. We're off to Ireland on Sunday to help LUXe create a site-specific promenade spectacle set on Fort Dunree, on cliffs overlooking the sea in County Donegal.

LUXe is a couple of artists who I've worked with during the Liverpool Halloween Carnival. They make fantastic structures and costumes for processions and events. This event which is close to their base and a part of the Earagail Arts Festival is a great opportunity for them to show what they do to their hometown crowd--kind of like what the Handmade Parade started as for us. As they are more maker than performers, they've asked me to step in and help them coordinate all the performances and shape the overall narrative.

It's my first time in Ireland (I was in Northern Ireland one weekend as a Snow Person but that's a different country) so I'm quite excited not just by the project but by seeing how things are done there. We're taking the dog and our camping kit as well and giving ourselves a few extra days after the performance to be a tourist. Love it when puppets take me to new places.

What's also great is that later this year, we'll be back in Ireland performing with a couple of shows at the Dublin Puppet Festival!

Wolverhampton and the Boo

2011-07-12T19:41:00.002+01:00

Another busy weekend for the giants. Kathy and I were at the Wolverhampton Show with hippo while Plucky had her first post parade outing at the Horse & Bamboo Puppet Festival.

We didn't know what to expect as I noticed on the Wolverhampton Show website, the featured acts were Monster Trucks, motorcycle stunt team and parachute team. However, it's a big fair in a big park. We were part of a great puppet tent next to a bandstand with brass bands--thankfully, a reasonable distance from the fun fair.

It was organised by Michael Dixon who is the Archivist of the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild. It had a great puppet display, a fantastic Punch & Judy by Richard Coombs, a jig doll demonstration by Ted Beresford, and some great organ and automated puppets by Ollie. It had a great vibe, very warm audiences and perfect weather. See photos here.

In the meanwhile, Pluck was entertaining the audience between shows at the Horse & Bamboo Puppet Festival. Apparently, she's fond of a bit of Morris dancing but apparently not very good. I think with a bit of work to make her more structurally permanent and more van-able and make a good accompanying character, she'll be our new walkabout star for next year. She's a lot of fun, visually striking and just perfect for festival walkabouts.

Taking Flight Video

2011-07-10T20:13:00.000+01:00

2011 Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade Video

2011-07-10T20:11:00.001+01:00

Hat Fair

2011-07-05T13:57:00.005+01:00

Had a great time performing hippo at Hat Fair last weekend. It's a big festival focused on street performers and buskers from all over the world. At breakfast one morning, we were sitting with an Australian performer who lives in Switzerland and a clowning duo who are from Brazil and Italy who now live in Greece (I suppose they can say the same for this Korean American who lives in England).

The High Street and Cathedral Square were absolutely heaving with people both days. The hippo went down very well but it was often a struggle to keep moving. We didn't do the the shows as much but mostly walkabout. I think we were both a bit shy about our street acts compared to what was on offer.

You gotta give it up to some of these performers. There such an amazing craft of not just their skills but the technique of keeping and building an audience; getting them to really take your side and really want to see what happens next. There's so much to learn about audience psychology. If were a little younger and braver, I'd try to put together a busking act and work at it until I learned how to do it.

My favourites were: Derek McAlister, the Space Cowboy and Les Apostrophés-- all who had plenty of talent but a very natural way of working an audience. Space Cowboy was very brash (but not mean), Derek was a very clear wordless clown, while Les Apostrophés were very subtle, gentle, precise yet captivating.

We also really enjoyed seeing and getting to know some of these very talented clowns such as George Orange, another displaced American who worked with Redmoon in Chicago and Mu Teatro who have invited us to come visit them in Greece. Sounds okay with me.

Giant Footballer

2011-06-22T07:12:00.004+01:00

Here's our latest: a giant boy footballer named Jimmy for the Manchester Day Parade. He represents the boys and girl of the Abraham Moss Warriors Junior Football Club. It's in this incredibly diverse area of Manchester--the football of flags which were painted by the young footballers represent the 32 nationalities of the members of the club!

They where a terrific group of youths, really enthusiastic but focused. Credit goes to June Kelly a remarkable force of nature who makes this club happen. Her tireless organising and coaching was recognised with an MBE.

This puppet was a fun challenge for us as I've never made a giant puppet which had to run and kick before. Originally I thought we had to have three puppeteers on this but when I first tested the leg structure, K suggested it'd look better if I controlled it. It would have been hard to coordinate three performers to "run". I attached control rods to the back of the calves then realised that I could attach the head control strings to these. This allowed one performer to do both.

The head is clay-sculpted papier mache, the hands are pipe insulation sculpted and scrimmed, the legs and feet are cardboard. The marionette course I took in Italy last autumn with Frank Soehnle turned out very useful when it came to making hip, knee and ankle joints.

This puppet was a commission by Walk the Plank for the Manchester City Council. As the gig came the week after the Handmade Parade (yikes!) We made his head and hands serve double duty. Turns out when Jimmy's not playing footie, he's a fishmonger (photo by Blu Planet Photo).

Taking Flight

2011-05-12T15:47:00.000+01:00

A whirlwind project, largely done in a week but very pleased. We had two shows last weekend and really full, warm houses. In fact, word travelled very quickly after the first show and the second show was crazy full.

We started the show outside with some ensemble movement by the cast led by Gil Burns.

Inside, we had a lovely collection of songs, poems, stories and movement pieces all nicely woven together with fantastic music by Kathy Kim, Daniel Bath, Razwan Sarwar and Barka, a children's choir who sings in English and Polish.

And, of course some puppetry such as this shadow show, a lantern owl and the Sun Birds. See the set of photos HERE.

It was our first project in Todmorden, our home town. I was very pleased to be able to put something which, on the one had is clearly our artistic and organisational work but is also very clearly of and for the local community. Hebden Bridge has the Handmade Parade; now Todmorden has "Taking Flight"--not such a bad way to pass the time. And it's fantastic to be able to find a way to offer our work to the community on our own terms.

Who knows what will happen but I think everyone seemed very pleased with the show so I'm sure we'll start talking about another show or other ways to bring puppet pageantry to Todmorden. Watch this space.

Taking Flight--Tonight

2011-05-06T09:14:00.002+01:00

No time to blog! We've been working like mad on this community show in Todmorden, our home town. It's been fantastic working with and getting to know local artists. I think it's coming along amazingly well considering that 80% of it came together in one week!

Photos and results posted soon but now I have a very long list to attend to...

Race Dog Showreel

2011-04-08T21:44:00.008+01:00

Here's a showreel of the indoor/outdoor mask play I directed last year for Theatret Thalias Tjenere.

Kelda at Church Farm

2011-04-04T18:30:00.003+01:00

Kelda and her companions had another fantastic weekend on the Wirral. She was at Church Farm which is a working farm which has diversified to be a farm shop, cafe and attraction for families to meet farm animals and learn about planting and such. We were there Sat and Sun and each outing had a different focus: smaller animals, learn to plant, and trail walk to meet the bigger animals.

They arranged to have some chick born a couple of days before we arrived. It was amazing to see these perfectly formed little birds which Kelda had to very, very gently stroke. And Kelda got feed the goats and the sheep from her hands. This is one of the best things I've ever done as a puppeteer! Though a lot more difficult than it appears.

Church Farm is a wonderful open environment with a great staff who really believe in what they're doing. I loved all of the hens walking all over the grounds. There were several who seemed to love hanging around our van where Panchan, our dog, was doing time.

We spent the night there saving us a couple of drives and giving us the opportunity to go on two great walks on parts of the Wirral Way--a former railway line now lovingly used walking/biking/horse riding path--and along the beach. In this photo below, we're looking across the Dee Estuary at Wales, where it seems is the pot of gold.

Sure I love our work but I especially love our work when it takes us to beautiful places and opens up surprising experiences.

Kelda at Birkenhead Park

2011-03-28T18:50:00.003+01:00

We had a fantastic time at Birkenhead Park last weekend with Kelda. We were there for three days, three sets a day. Each set, we met a group, sometimes a school group, sometimes general public and a park ranger who showed us around the main attractions of the park. Kelda and her companions were special guest who wanted to learn more about the park. It worked just as we had hoped: the puppet drew crowds and the tour gave them a chance to show off what's great about the park. I didn't know that it was the first public park in the world and it was the inspiration for much of Central Park in NYC.

When we first met the groups, we did our Kelda song by way of introduction and at the end of the tour, as a way to thank everyone for telling her about the park, Kelda taught the kids and adults (!) her special viking dance. People were so willing by the end of walk to play along--very satisfying.

Twitter!

2011-03-21T11:15:00.003Z

Okay, after avoiding it as long as possible, I've given in to Twitter. After having a good look as some of the folks using it, I realised that there are a lot of art centre, festivals, theatres and artists updating what their doing up to. I suppose Thingumajig and Handmade Parade really needs to be in on that action.

So if you twitter, follow Thingumajig Theatre @ThingumaTheatre

and follow Handmade Parade @hebdenparade

US Tour

2011-03-20T10:18:00.004Z

We're back and on the road to recovery after a fantastic month-long whirlwind tour of the USA with "A November Day". We were invited by the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta for a week-long run. As they were shipping our show to the states, we took it as an opportunity to play a few other stops. And to visit all of my family in California and Chicago.

As we made this show for a UK audience, we didn't know how a US audience would receive this. As it turns out, we had nothing to worry about--we had great audiences and terrific responses. In some ways, I think the show went over better there than here. But this could be just that American audiences are more forward with their responses.

In Atlanta, we played 9 shows, some for schools, some for the public. We also had this fantastic review! The Center is an amazing place filled with so much amazing puppet enthusiasm. They have the uncanny ability to attract and keep nice people who are very good at what they do and LOVE puppet theatre. So pleased our second show there was as successful as the first--we look forward to the next time!

After a drive-by visit to Graceland, our next stop on the tour was Fayetteville, Arkansas where our good friend, George Meyer teamed up with puppeteer and Art Therapist JoAnn Kaminsky to hire a hall for us to play in. As they don't have a whole lot of professional puppetry there, our visit really became an organising focus to bring together people who want more to happen there.

We got stay at George's farm in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He lives in an tiny chapel which he bought and moved onto a beautiful stretch of land with a stream on it. I've never seen so many cardinals--5 on one tree! He just built a huge barn for his puppets. Plenty of room to build, store and rehearse lots of shows. Can't think of a more beautiful place to papier mache. We're hoping we can come by sometime in the future and help with a pageant or a parade.

Our third and final stop on the tour was in Minneapolis at the Open Eye Figure Theatre. It's a fantastic theatre build into a store front. They also have workshop space and office downstairs. It such a fantastic, bespoke space for their puppet work. It reminded us of our visit to Sandglass Theater's theatre/workshop barn in Vermont. Something to aspire to for Thingumajig....

Minneapolis is where I started as a puppeteer and where I spent nearly 10 years. So we were a little nervous to perform to old friends and colleagues. But of course they were some of the most supportive audiences we've ever had.

It was the longest run of the show (15 performances) since we did our first tour of it in 2008 which felt great. We found all sorts of new business and tighter timing and more heart to the piece than ever. It's back in our workshop but we'll look forward to the next time we do the show--either in Dublin at their Puppet Festival in October or at the Norwich Puppet Theatre in November.

Kelda

2011-02-12T23:40:00.003Z

It's been ages since I blogged! For a couple of month, there wasn't much going on but then January hit and we were full on. Here's one of the projects we've been crazy with...

This is Kelda, a Viking girl who once lived on the Wirral. She is a giant puppet accompanied by two very keen guides who are professor and archeologist/adventurer. They will be on a tour of 8 different cultural attractions on the Wirral starting next weekend.

She was co-commissioned by Wild in Art and Liverpool Lantern Company for Liverpool Discovers.

Here's a gallery which include process shots.

Here's her page on our website.

More Halloween

2010-11-09T20:04:00.003Z

Here are some fantastic photos by Mark Loudon HERE.
And a video HERE.

2010 Liverpool Halloween Lantern Carnival

2010-11-02T13:52:00.003Z

Just coming back into everyday life after the mad rush of the Liverpool Halloween event. I repeated my role as performance director where I worked with about 150 performers--theatre students, dance students, a choir, puppeteers and actors--to create briefs and coordinate the performances for the evening.

It's a lot to keep on top of but having done this for my fourth year, I've learned how to work with the different groups and artists and learned what is effective in the park, in the dark, with such crowds of about 10,000.

The weather was perfect, the crowds were very generous and all the performances went like clockwork. It was magic. The theme of the ferry woman and the ferry terminal to the other side created a great setting for some really beautiful poetic images: I especially loved the boat crossing where a giant puppet ferried 12 performers with illuminated suitcases, one at a time, across the lake during which time they took off their garments to reveal their skeleton underneath. But also we had some really fun business: skeleton boarder control, skeleton security (make sure no one was smuggling living matter to the other side), and devil vendors trying to sell goods for the journey to hell (water, cool packs, fans, oven mitts).

Here's a link to a photo set from the local paper and some flickr sets. I'll post more links as they are available.

PIP Workshop--First Week

2010-09-05T18:31:00.006+01:00

Just finished the first week of the puppetry performance course with Frank Soehnle. What a lot to absorb. In our course, besides the teacher are three Germans, three Italians, one French and me (American from England?). Once again, although it’s no one’s native tongue besides mine, English is the common language. There's a wide range of experience, some completely new to puppets, some very experienced string puppeteers. I'm comfortably in the middle somewhere.

The course is all about string puppets--how to perform them, make them and a little bit about why and when to use them. We will be creating a new piece for the Incanti Festival. It’s good puppet playing although I have to admit, at first, I was slightly intimidated as I've never really worked with string puppets before. But Frank has been really good about creating a safe and open space where he is helping each person on his/her own level.

This is the adventure. Here I am at a place where no one knows me with a task I don’t know how to do. And to some extent, unlike all the other tasks I do for work, it doesn’t matter if excel or it I am slightly below average. I can take risks. Like a good puppet, I start at a neutral zero. I breathe in, shift my weight, start the pendulum and go forward.

Each evening, we have a five course meal. It’s an absolutely overwhelming amount of food. A starter, then the pasta, then the meat, then the salad, then dessert, and finally coffee. Which is espresso. This is my first big lesson here: you don’t have Capuccino or Cafe Latte after breakfast. I asked for a Capuccino after lunch, when coffee orders were taken, and the Italians couldn’t believe it. It’s now a bit of running joke that I pretend to ask for a cappuccino at every meal. As I said, you take risks and then you learn.

Here is a control made by Fritz Herbert Bross who is Frank's teacher's teacher. It's very different from the American and British controls I've seen but the movements seem so much smoother and more ergonomic. Frank brought a couple of old 1950's puppets which we can try. They have such incredible balance, especially this Pierrot seen below (next to my spider). I'm gaining in string puppet confidence each day. Who knows but I bet we'll see some string puppets in the next Thingumajig show.

Hippo Showreel

2010-08-28T20:38:00.002+01:00

Finished editing the showreel for "Hippochondriac". It was a gorgeous day, Halifax's Piece Hall provided a great backdrop and Clare Pearl really took stunning footage. It was a very pleasurable job. I'm pleased with how it seems to get the look of the piece as well a show a good range of the business and fun we have with it.

Spider Marionette

2010-08-26T22:45:00.004+01:00

For the next two weeks, I'll be in Turin, Italy taking a masterclass with Frank Soehnle. The one requirement is that we bring a string puppet we made. I don't really use marionettes and so didn't have one I could bring so I had to make one from scratch. I had a bit of a play with various things and ended up drawn to these joints from an old piano which a friend of mine gave to me. They moved very much like insect legs so why not a spider.

It was a real pleasure making something dictated completely by the form, function and movement of an object. The piano hinges wanted to be legs and the bell wanted to have something hitting it to make a sound. Who knows what the character will be or the story it wants to tell but here he is, let's see what it can do.

Frankenocchio

2010-08-24T18:35:00.004+01:00

"Frankenocchio" a puppet play I directed and co-produced back in 2003, in my Seattle daze is back for another revival. Just ran into a clip of it on YouTube. They are still using the footage from the original version I directed for their publicity (though someone else gets direction credit which seems a little unfair). It runs 12 Aug to 4 Sept.

"Race Dog", the mask play I directed for Theatret Thalias Tjenere in Denmark, is still having it's summer run. This means on 2 Sept, two plays I directed will be playing on the same day, one in Denmark and one in USA. Not bad, eh?

Hippo Here, Hippo There

2010-08-10T10:05:00.003+01:00

Just finished a fantastic busy week with "Hippochondriac." We were at the Lakes Alive puppet festival in Penrith last Sunday, at the Girl Guides Centenary event on Wednesday and playing three days at the On the Waterfront event in Liverpool over the weekend. Here's a nice report with some footage of the hippo on the BBC Cumbria website HERE. And we were part of a slideshow on the BBC Liverpool page HERE.

Although the hippo had it's walkabout debut at the end of May and had it's puppet show debut in July, it wasn't really until this weekend in Liverpool where we felt we really knew how to perform it. It was so good for us to have a solid run of it (12 performances in one week!) to learn where to put the punches and where to hang back. As it's two of us performing, it's very important to know who's taking and giving focus. Also, with street crowds, we needed to learn how to make it very clear when it's a show and when it's an interactive walkabout. I'm sure it'll continue to evolve (at least four more outings this season) but we're feeling much more confident with it now. Also, we've had some fantastic responses from crowds, producers and fellow street performers. I think this hippo will keep us busy for some time to come.

On a personal note, yesterday marks the end of a very busy and stressful stretch which started back in March. Between, building the hippo, moving house, MayDay Parade, Handmade Parade, building the hippo shows, and the giant fish commission, we've been busier and more stressed than we've ever been. So for the rest of August, while we have a much more sane work schedule, we're looking forward to finishing moving into our house, going for some long walks and other such pleasant, no pressure activities.

Trout!

2010-07-31T22:30:00.003+01:00

The trout are done! After a very intense build (after several very intense projects one right after another) our three giant fish commissioned by the Stockton International Riverside Festival Carnival had their maiden voyage today.

All the bits fit, looked good, moved nicely and the weather held--it's been a good day for Thingumajig Theatre.

I've posted more photos, including process shots HERE.

It was a fairly straight-forward, two-pole puppet design but working on this scale, we discovered quite a few useful techniques such as making good harnesses (based on a samba drum harness), painting with fabric dyes and a more secure way to trust bolt holes in bamboo. In the end, some very satisfying puppets, which, as it was a commission, K and I were both a bit said to leave them and drive home with an empty van.

Fish Bodies Painted

2010-07-28T22:28:00.004+01:00

Body painted with fabric dyes. Fins, head, tail and spots tomorrow. Too tired to say much else.

Big Naked Fish

2010-07-27T22:20:00.003+01:00

Here's the first trout with all the body parts minus the dorsal fin and some side fins. It's got some nice movements and is not too heavy and plenty big--nearly 5 meters long and about 4 meters tall. All the bits are now figured out now so just a bit more rigging and painting. It's going to be a busy few days...

2010 Handmade Parade Video

2010-07-26T22:03:00.000+01:00

The official film by Grain of Sand Films of this years workshops, parade and finale. See a bigger version HERE.

Fish Heads

2010-07-22T07:40:00.003+01:00

Fish heads are sculpted and papier mached. These heads are much bigger than I expected and took a lot of clay. They are not quite as big as Hieronymus but nearly. They are over a meter tall--K says it looks like the makings of a giant stargazer pie. We'll make two heads off the closed mouth one but thought one should have an open mouth.

The structure is well under way and we've just sorted out how we're doing the fabric so a very busy week and a half in front of us but I'm sure it will all go swimmingly.

Trout for Stockton

2010-07-09T09:06:00.003+01:00

Here's the next big thing: We've been commissioned to make some giant puppets for the Stockton International Riverside Festival Carnival. We'll be making three giant brown trout who, despite their boring name, are very colourful. They will have a flexible body allowing for good fish movement and will be 4 meters off the ground at their tallest and nearly 5 meters long. Looking forward to sculpting again!

Long Lost Plucky

2010-07-03T08:12:00.002+01:00

Just happened to be surfing through via facebook connections, etc, when I came across these two photos of Plucky the giant chicken puppet Kathy and I made for the Dream Community in Taiwan. We made it for their Dream Parade in October 2005 and then left it with them. Here it's being used in a performance for New Year's. Glad it had another life as it was one of my favourite puppet I've made. The head and body worked well together in design and material use. That job, being artistic director of the Dream Parade, was the most chaotic and demanding job I've ever had. For most of 6 weeks, I was putting out fires from 9am to 9pm. After 9pm, I had time to finally make my own stuff and that's where this puppet came from.

I have no idea what's happening in these photos but if I were one of these insect children, I'd be very afraid.

2010 Handmade Parade

2010-07-01T08:38:00.002+01:00

Biggest, baddest Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade is done and dusted. Everything turned out great. The weather was beautiful, the crowds were thicker than anything I've ever seen in Hebden Bridge, and we had nearly 600 participants in the parade. The level of art and performance was better than ever and everyone seemed very, very pleased. Phew.

This on a year where we had to start all over with a new organisation and a new team of organisers--what a relief. A very big thanks to Rebecca Dearden, intrepid organiser and our board members Linda Green, Ian Hodgson, Lynnette Crossley and our lead artists Kerith Ogden, Alison Duddle, Theo Wickenden and Kathy Kim. I've posted lots and lots of links to galleries HERE.

In addition to directing the overall, my big job this year was to create a finale, a community-wide pageant very loosely based on the theme and also on the 500th birthday of the packhorse bridge. Although we've had something in the park each year, this is the first year we've had a puppet pageant. Because it was a new thing, it took a lot of work to get people to sign up to be at the finale. And I felt I could only ask for one rehearsal. So it was all very simple using lots of 2-D cardboard flats and makes that were already made or being made for the parade.

But people seemed to really enjoy it: I think it's the start of a new tradition. I was especially pleased with these three blue horses I made. The bodies are flat but the heads are simple cardboard sculptures. They came out to drink from the river then become the packhorse bridge.

Getting Ready for the Handmade Parade

2010-06-22T08:39:00.003+01:00

Just five days from the main event.... So many details to come together and so much carboard painting yet to do but the energy seems fantastic. We seem to have a constant buzz at the workshop. We have a great team of artists and more and more volunteers are showing up each day. There really seems to be a vibrant community event in the making. On Saturday, the samba band, three stilters and one of our birds joined the finale of the 500th birthday of the bridge in Hebden. It was the debut of these gorgeous banner Kathy has been making. Photo by Craig Shaw. I think we looked and sounded really tight--I'm very pleased with the growing carnival culture in this town and proud of the fact that I've helped make it happen.

Here's just a few workshop pics I've been taking. Can't blog now, much to do. More photos later.

Hippochondriac Debuts!

2010-06-02T13:55:00.003+01:00

The hippo is finally out into the universe. We had a great couple of days in Hebden Bridge at the Big Green Weekend. It rained a bit the first day but the second days was sunny and glorious. Here are a great set of photos from Craig Shaw.

We have much to learn of what the hippo does and how our characters relate with it but this will come with time. For now, we were very pleased that everything worked and the audience seemed to really respond well to him. Whew.

More From MayDay

2010-05-13T19:20:00.004+01:00

Looking through various photographers' online galleries (linked HERE), I found a few more great photos of what we were up to last month. In addition to the birds and the big tiger in the last post, Kathy and I made the snail shell for the Snail of Death (at least that's what I called it). Throughout the Ceremony, the snail (performed by Laurie Witzkowski) spiralled in and out of the performing area, on her own time, despite what everyone else was doing. There she is (above, photo by Liz Welch) passing the Woods (puppet by Sandy Spieler).

At the very end of the Ceremony, after the Sun puppet crossed the lake (which somehow make the actual Sun peek out from the clouds as if on cue), Death emerged from underneath the shell (mask and costume by Sandy Spieler) and danced with the Tree of Life before he was reborn (photo by Tim Koerning).

And as far as what we did performing, here's Kathy, far left, as Boss Rooster (Roosters and chariot by Lindsay McCaw and Adam Cook; River and Tree of Life by Sandy Spieler; photo by Liz Welch) and me stilting (photo by Alan Turkus). It was a last-minute decision to stilt in the parade. I spent so much time on the Ceremony that thoughts of what to do in the parade was left until the very end. I saw this old Heart of the Beast stilt costume and it seemed like a good idea. I didn't have my own stilts, no knee pads, wrong shoes but I had a blast. The audience kept wanting more I did my best to deliver. Nearly two weeks later and my knee is still a little bit sore. Not as young and nimble as I used to be...

MayDay 2010

2010-05-04T18:12:00.003+01:00

What a fantastic day! Everything came together beautifully in the end. There are loads of posts of the parade and ceremony, you can find some HERE. Here are my favourite photos of two main builds I worked on this last month: the tiger (made with Kevin Long, photo by Liz Welch) and the birds (made with Sandy Spieler, photo by Helen Ellner). I am the bird second from the left.

MayDay Parade--One Week To Go

2010-04-24T13:49:00.004+01:00

I've been back in Minneapolis for the last three weeks working as a staff artist for my puppet alma matter, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. It's been an intense and rich time. My hands are aching from the cutting, stapling and rubber tying (lashing with cut up bicycle inner tubes). I've been posting some photos HERE.

I'm working on the Ceremony which is pageant that happens at the side of Powderhorn Lake after the parade enters into the park. I'm working with artistic director Sandy Spieler (above) on making a set of giant puppet birds (also known as "mystery doors" or just "doors"--you'd have to be there to know why. Actually even then, it's not totally clear. But they are going to be wicked cool puppets.) I'm also making an eight person tiger puppet with Kevin Long which will assemble in front of the audience (also wicked cool).

This is the place where I became a puppeteer and this is the community where I lived between the ages of 22 to 31. Coming back after 4 years (worked with them in 2006), I'm realising just how deep and important those connections are to me. It's been fantastic to catch up with dear friends and work with people I have such a shared history with. Sure I'm enjoying making puppets and pageantry but really, this trip is all about feeding that often forgotten bit in the centre that needs human connections. Plus I needed to meet all the babies my friends seem to be producing with great efficiency.

Watch this great video report from the 3-Minute Egg to get a sense of the public workshops.

Cartoon

2010-03-28T21:33:00.001+01:00

Despite the recent chaos of our lives (we just bought a house and moved on Friday--we weren't 100% sure we were actually moving until about 4 days before the actual move!), we just performed a sweet gig as a fundraiser for Wrose Methodist Church, outside of Bradford. It's the church Kathy's father attends and they are raising funds to renovate their building. It was a cabaret-type evening with singing and dancing kids, older men doing sketch comedy and a magician who had a few tricks that didn't always work. But here's something we don't see everyday: the local paper, the Telegraph and Argus, made a cartoon about us. I suppose it's some kind of flattery.

Hippo Test

2010-03-19T23:33:00.004Z

After a week of very long days working outside in the gorgeous spring weather, we have a body. We put it all together and gave it a test drive. Everything seems to work, even on very uneven ground. Steering is a bit tricky but the gearing is very good. We are very encouraged. And a bit knackered. We're going to put him on the shelf for a bit. Next we need to pack up our house to move next week (hopefully) then I'm off to Minneapolis to work on the MayDay Parade and Ceremony. Back to finish the hippo in May.

See a short movie of the test here. Music is "Melancolico Buenos Aires" by Astor Piazzolla.

Hippo Body Shaping

2010-03-17T22:58:00.003Z

We've been taking advantage of the spring weather and working outside to sculpt the hippo body. On Monday, we drew out the lines with bamboo and withies. These will not be a part of the final puppet--it's just an armature.

Yesterday we used paper to figure out the shapes of the skin and where the cuts needed to be. We used this paper as the pattern to cut out Plastazote sheets which we glued together with Evostick and tape. It was a long day as you can see by the photo--gets a bit creepy working in a graveyard when it gets dark.

Today we used a heat gun to put some curves on the body then put a layer of fibreglass on it. Also a long day as you can tell by the bored expression on the dog. Heat sculpting Plastazote has lots of potential for quick light shapes, as you can see by our winsome model.

A Good Day for Thingumajig

2010-03-17T21:20:00.002Z

Two bits of good news today: I received a Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund to travel to Torino, Italy to take part in their INCANTI Production Project intensive workshops with Frank Soehnle (pictured above). This is a puppeteer I've admired and been influenced for years and this is just from watching his shows. I'm thinking working for three weeks with him will help me grow in all sorts of ways.

Also, we've received our first grant for the Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade from Awards for All. This is a big sigh of relief as up until now, it's all been hypothetical and hopeful thinking. Now it's on for real.

It's amazing--just a few weeks ago, I was worried about what seemed like a thin year for us but all of the sudden work opportunities seem to be coming in, several a week. We're suddenly full on until autumn. Someone seems to be looking out for us.

Hippo Head Attached

2010-03-10T19:41:00.003Z

We spent the day figuring out how to attach the head to the body frame. This was no simple matter as the head is quite heavy and the rigging point is far back. Plus: the head needs to move side to side, and the jaw opens, and at some point in the performance, I get eaten by the hippo which means it has to open wide enough and I need strong points to hold and transfer my weight. Took all day but I think we finally sorted it. It's been something I've been worrying about how to do for weeks but today was the first day we were actually ready to try it out. Only problem is that as I go through the head, the weight is too far forward and the back wheels lift. This and I think we need a bigger workshop.

Great Daffodil Appeal

2010-03-08T17:56:00.002Z

Veronica came out to play to help kick off the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal, an annual fundraiser to help support the amazing cancer care work that they do. Read the article in the Telegrah & Argus here. Sure they look they're having a nice time but I think these nurses were slightly afraid of the big green girl.

Hippochondriac Early PR Photos

2010-03-04T22:49:00.003Z

Here's the first batch of photos for "Hippochondriac". We have a ways to go yet but we have to put some images out into the universe to get some bookings. Is it obvious that I photoshopped the start of a body (which has yet to exist) on to this one?

Pensive or startled...which is Kathy's more fetching look?

Hippo Painted (Nearly)

2010-03-03T23:25:00.002Z

Today, I painted the hippo. I'm fairly happy with most of it though I need to do a bit more detail on the eyes and see what it looks like in sunlight before I'll call it done. Felt great to just crank the tunes and paint for a good 6 hours. I forget how much I enjoy painting. If it weren't work-related, it'd make a great hobby. Here's a photo of my hippo inspirations:

Hippo Cart Works!

2010-03-02T19:35:00.005Z

Went to see the crazy bike/hippo cart Julian Taylor is making for us. It's fantastic! We were concerned about it being unstable or hard to pedal but so far, Julian has figured out dozens of solutions to make it all work. Just a few more structural bits and tomorrow (if it fits in the van) we take it home and start sculpting the body.

Outside

2010-03-02T19:00:00.001Z

First day it really feels like spring and we took full advantage of it by doing the last bit of sanding and putting on the resin topcoat outside. After days of poorly ventilated work with clumsy protective gear, with fumy, itchy fibreglass and acetone, the fresh air and the sunshine were pure bliss. As our workshop is at an old church, outside means graveyard. Notice the great view of Heptonstall the hippo had as he was drying. We haven't had such a great outside work day since the swimmer we made for Liverpool Lord Mayor's Parade. Tomorrow, I get to paint--hurray!

Fibreglass

2010-02-24T22:15:00.003Z

We finally have the hippo off the mould. We decided to use fibreglass as we wanted to be a little more waterproof and as the head was so big. We used fibreglass before (see this heron) but I wasn't pleased with the details I was able to get. However, Julian (who is making the base for the cart) inspired me to give it another go. He sent me to Glasplies where a very enthusiastic man who's worked there for 15 years talked me though the steps and put all the materials together for me. I bought much more suitable stuff which is much easier to work with and gave us so much more details than the stuff I used for the heron. It's still not nice to work with--it's fumey and the dust and fibres are itchy and I'm sure not so great for you. But it's not as bad as I thought it would be if you have all the safely gear (good filter mask is essential). It's much faster than papier mache (two layers! papier mache would have taken at least 8 and with that many layers, we would have lost so much detail). Plus it's much more weatherproof and stronger for rigging. It's not for everything but for giant puppets, it certainly has a lot going for it.

Hippo Gets a Ride

2010-02-24T22:05:00.001Z

Visited Julian's workshop where the wheels for the hippo are coming together. He's cutting up two aluminium BMX bikes as the main wheels and two ordinary bikes for part for the gearing, seat, and steering. A performer will be able to sit on top of the hippo and ride him like a bike. The main difficulty he has is that in addition to being sound, safe and functional, it has to come apart to fit in our van and into our workshop which has modest normal-sized doors. He's got some good solutions so far. Can't wait to see it work.

Frog Emerges

2010-02-23T22:00:00.001Z

This odd looking blob is the start of a frog puppet. I sketched it out with wire, stuffed it with newspaper then taped it. For the front legs, I used wire to sketch it out then expanding foam and carved it. This is because I wanted to sculpt the body in clay but thought the legs would be too fiddly to papier mache then cut out the armature.

Here's the frog sculpted in clay and cover in cling film.

K then papier mached it. I cut out the clay and armature but left the wire and the expanding foam which I used to sculpt the front legs. The wet papier mache is shows the line which I cut to get the clay and armature out. The back legs will be cut out of plywood and jointed like a marionette.

Hippo Sculpted

2010-02-15T22:11:00.003Z

Okay, now it's sculpted. Had a little trouble finishing this. Because it's so big, I wanted to make sure it had an open and accessible expression so kids wouldn't be too frightened. That's why the first version (see below) had a bit more of a cartoony look and a smile. However, looking at more hippo photos and thinking about the story (he is a poorly hippo), I changed the eyes and added more folds. I think this works much better--much more depth.

Hippo Head (mostly) Sculpted

2010-02-13T18:37:00.004Z

It's a good day when you get to spend it with clay oozing in the hands. He's not a small boy but I think he's nearly there. The cardboard ears are standing in for leather ones I'll create later. The ears are going to have a twisting movement. I was considering having the eyes move but I'm thinking it's not necessary. After all of this, I'll sculpt the lower jaw. I'll pop in tomorrow to see if it works then put the finishing touches. I find I can't "see" after awhile and I need to sleep on it before I know if it works or not.

Hippo Head Armature

2010-02-11T18:40:00.003Z

First day getting down and dirty for the Hippo. It's not a puppet show until you get dirty. We built the armature today and prepared the clay. This head is huge! I think is probably the second biggest clay-sculpted puppet head I've ever made, second only to the Rain Bear. Fortunately, we had an excellent model to make sure we got our proportions right. Meet Claudius, a toy hippo we found on a beach in California and has been our road trip companion ever since. He's very pleased that we're making a puppet show based on him. We're still stuffing the armature but he's already claimed 6 buckets and countless paint tins and yogurt containers. And this is only the top half of his head.

Hippo Build Begins

2010-02-10T10:20:00.005Z

After a couple of very useful days of devising--mocking up stuff and improvising--we've settled the basic shape of Hippochondriac. I've done a couple of quick sketches and we've met with Julian Taylor, a sculptor/blacksmith who will constructing the frame for the beast which Kathy and I will skin and make all the moving bits around.

We've worked with Julian a couple of times through Liverpool Lantern Company.

He made the art carts Kathy and I performed around last year and we were impressed with his innovative use of bike and wheelchair parts and how the carts packed down to a flat pack.

We're making lists and doing the shopping. New show, here we go.

Hippochondriac--Devising Day One

2010-02-04T18:48:00.003Z

We've just finished the first day of devising of our new walkabout/puppet show, "Hippochondriac." It's been in the theoretical stage for the last 6 months, it great to finally get on our feet and improvise around some of our ideas. We made a quick mock-up to try the size--what you see is a hippo body and the carboard box is where one of puppet stages will appear.

Thanks to a successful Arts Council England Grants for the Arts bid, we are working with a director for the devising and reheasals: Liz Lempen of Lempen Puppet Theatre Company. It's great to have another maker, puppet thinker and performer with us to help us figure out the story, business and solve stuff issues as we go.

We have a draft scenario which we are mocking up and improvising our way through and by the end of tomorrow, hopefully, we'll have a rough shape to the piece so that we can finalise designs and start building next week. It's funny how a piece is really created in short bursts of creativity, followed by months of detailed step by step building carrying out the decisions made in just a few days.

Thingumobile 2.0

2010-02-02T18:37:00.002Z

After three years of very commendable service, we've traded in our reliable Citroën Berlingo for a nearly new Citroën Dispatch. The Berlingo was certainly the right van for us for the first three years but as a good deal of our work now involves giant puppets, we've been leaning towards getting a bigger van. We especially needed one before we build "Hippochondriac," our new show.

We've looked around at all sorts and, as we were very pleased with our other Citroën, we settled on the new style Dispatch which is very fuel efficient and has a good amount of cargo space for its size. Plus it has the added bonus of being long enough to sleep in which will be a nice treat when we need to camp. I'll forward to breaking this one in.

Dog Gone

2010-01-24T22:44:00.003Z

Rehearsal for "Race Dog" is complete with a very successful couple of previews. You never really know what you have until it all comes together in the end. I have to admit, there were dark nights when I had my doubts but in retrospect, I suppose when you have a room full of experience, talented artists working hard for 6 weeks, you have to trust that the culmination of all the little decisions will add up to a cohesive whole. Of course if it didn't, as director, it would have been largely my fault--no pressure there.

The show seemed to have found it's legs a little later than I would have hoped. It really wasn't until Wednesday of this week when I thought the play really started to find it's rhythms and the characters found their dramatic arcs. But in the end, I think we've created a big fun piece of entertainment with lots of good physical comedy, theatre magic and a story with heart and meaning. I'm confident that as the performers continue to grow into the show, audience will love it.

Big up to the trio at Theatret Thalias Tjenere (Linda, Stephan and Brian) who are all excellent physical performers AND did (are still doing) all the making for the show. Loz Kaye, the musical director/composer, did a fantastic job. I've worked with Loz on two Horse and Bamboo shows and two Thalias shows and he seems to get better and better--not just in the compositions themselves but in knowing just when and how moods need to change. Such a pleasure to work with someone who understands and respects the particular needs of visual, non-verbal theatre.

All in all, I've really enjoyed the work but am also pleased to be back home. Tomorrow we start working in earnest on "Hippochondriac" our new street theatre piece. We've been thinking about it for so long now that it will be a relief to actually begin.

Race Dog--One Week To Go

2010-01-15T21:51:00.002Z

It's the end of a very long week of rehearsals. We just ended it with our first (mostly) non-stop run-though with all the costume changes and set transformations. Phew! It's a lot. It's looking great though there's a lot to do with one more week to go.

We need to trim about 5 minutes off it (it ran 50 min) and need to clean up some moments, set the music and just run it lots. We have our first preview on Thursday. We should be ready but it will a very full-on last week.

Dog House

2010-01-06T21:25:00.003Z

I'm back in Århus, Denmark finishing up directing "Race Dog" for Theatret Thalias Tjenere. It's nice to be back although it's hard to get going the creative juices going so early in the new year when it's so dark so early and for some odd reason, there so much snow on the ground. It's like an old-school Minnesota winter.

Today, we spent the day working on the set which is a huge funky dog house. Besides the fun shapes, the set keeps transforming throughout the show: it's a race track, a beauty pageant complete with a runway, a balcony, a jail and then a church. It's a lot of hinges and latches but in the end, I think it'll be the star of the show. Unfortunately, we can't really settle on blocking and timings until it's a bit more useable so, like the diva she is, she needs a lot of attention in the preparation.

Holidays

2009-12-21T11:44:00.003Z

At the end of a very busy third year, we are finally taking a break for the holidays. Whew. In the last few weeks, even though December was supposed to have been an easier month, giving us time to devise the new show, it turned out to be jam-packed with administrative duties.

A few months ago, we found out that HEADS, the organisation which has co-produced the Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade for the last two years has decided to close shop. So suddenly, the responsibility for making the parade happen fell completely on Thingumajig. We decided it was too good of thing to let die so we decided to create a bespoke organisation to produce the parade and perhaps other events and performances down the line. I had to find an organiser, board members, and learn all I could about permits, fund-raising and how to start a new organisation. It's been a steep learning curve as up to now, I've been very happy to leave the admin in the very capable hands of HEADS. This has let me focus on the art part--the making of as well as recruiting good artists, bands and existing parade artwork--which is why the parade has such a fabulous look to it. After a couple months of my best attempt at organising/admin, we now have an organiser, a board of directors, a constitution, the first grant application is in and the application to become an official organisation is in. Whew.

In the midst of this we still had a few gigs. The samba band has been going from strength to strength playing in several community lantern parades and Christmas events. Also, we did a few puppets shows including some pro bono shows for the Wadsworth Community Centre and Wainsgate Chapel where we have our workshop space.

No more serious work for a bit, just shopping then various family festivities. Yesterday, we made a snowman and snow dog--so nice to make something just for the pleasure of making it.

Halloween 2009

2009-12-14T00:08:00.003Z

See the photo gallery for the 2009 Halloween Fair put on by Liverpool Lantern Company. I was the performance director which meant I met with all the different groups (zombies, skeletons, witches, wolves, spiders, etc) and worked with then so their acts worked together in the churchyard of St. Luke's Bombed Out Church in Liverpool. And I'm the dancing skeleton in the photo as well.

This was the third year as performance director but this year was very different to previous years as, due to funding cuts, they decided not to put on a big parade and finale. However, having it in an enclosed area really made it intense and magical. We were severely limited in how many audience we can have (3 shows of 350 max) which meant that less than 1000 people could see the show compared to 10,000 in Sefton Park. However, this also meant that for every three audience, there was a costumed performer which made it very full-on and exciting.

Spreading the Gospel of Giants

2009-12-10T22:29:00.001Z

Okay, giant puppets aren't all that I do, but it seems to be where I influence people the most. Just got some photos of this elephant made by Colin and Ruta, two Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (LIPA) students in the puppetry elective. I taught puppetry movement sessions for them in October. They cornered me after class and asked me about giant puppet structures. They wanted to make this two-person elephant. They showed me the model and the drawings and I talked them through what I would do. To be quite honest, on the inside, I thought they were being a bit over ambitious. I was clearly wrong--it looks fabulous! Love the expression in the face.

In very similar way, at the end of my last Islewilde pageant before I moved from Vashon, I had the green caribou out for their very last outing as a set (some where sold, some donated to Islewilde, one came with me to England). John, an artist from Olympia was at the performance and asked me about the caribou frames. I talked him through the process and gave him some of the structures--as I was moving, there was nowhere to store them anymore. Forgot all about this then earlier this year, he sent me these photos of these fantastic manatee he and his girlfriend Linda made for Olympia's Procession of the Species. He still had the materials and remembered the advice I'd given him some 4 years ago.

It's a silly way to pass one's time on this earth but I do love what I do and what's more, I love when I can help someone discover that joy in bringing a bit of puppet magic into the world.

Ice Queen

2009-12-03T21:12:00.008Z

I spent the afternoon in the freezing rain working as movement coach for this very excellent new creation by Dave Young for Walk the Plank. It's about 4 meters tall and takes five puppeteers: one to push (built on trailer wheels), two on arms, one inside to control the head and torso (she looks up, down, side to side and twists and bends at the waist), and another person inside to operate lights sounds and fire (she's got LEDs around her body, eyes (can be yellow or red) and halogens which light up and down her body). And flames coming out of her back--it's a good day when you get to cue flame throwers. She's going to go down a storm at the New Year's Eve event in Newcastle.

Update: See her HERE at the start of the video and about 2:40.

Eartha

2009-12-02T21:24:00.002Z

Kathy and I spent the last week teaching giant puppet building and performance to six artists from Street Processions, a celebratory arts group from Surrey. They've made all sorts of lanterns and carnival creations but wanted to learn how to make articulate papier mache giants. We worked with them on all stages from designing, building an armature, sculpting papier mache, structure, costume and performance. We built all day and then in the late afternoon, we taught movement using our own puppets.

It was such a pleasure working with adults keen to learn. It was also very nice to be able to work in our own workshop (despite the boiler dying on the first day). We knew where all the materials were and where to get more when we needed it.

The puppet, a Mother Earth character nicknamed "Eartha" was fantastic. It's four meters and has three puppeteers. The centre puppeteer is able to turn her head left and right and up and down. She has her first gig on Thursday! Can't wait to see the photos of her in action.

Wonder

2009-12-01T19:39:00.002Z

As someone who prefers to listen to Billie Holiday over Beethoven, I'm not one to choose to see classical music, in fact, I think the last time I saw a live orchestra was 10 years ago and that was only because there were puppets in it by my colleagues. Our good friend, Philip Goulding wrote the libretto to a new oratorio, "Wonder" so last weekend, we found ourselves at the debut. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. It was about the creation from a scientific point of view. So the choirs were singing about big bang and the periodical table with appropriately dramatic and abstract working from the top-notch orchestra. To juxtapose the abstract, Philip wrote a poignant human story sung by two soloists. It was a about a professor and her student. She had died and he was left angry and lost. Over the course of the piece, the creation story becomes a metaphor for the student's emotional journey. For a very modern piece of music with people singing things like: "Vanadium, Chromium, Manganese, Iron", I found it quite moving. I suppose that's what you get from a proper playwright.

By some cosmic coincidence, we then went to see another science-inspired performance by friends (is it the "in" thing? how come no one told us?). Deep Time Cabaret by Horse and Bamboo is a collection of scenes about geological time and mining. As always with Horse and Bamboo's work, it's ripe with odd and strangely beautiful moments. The cast is very strong (I'm not just saying this as they are my friends and colleagues), the puppet sequences are very good (though I missed the masks) and the set was great--very simple and functional which makes the transformations even more magical. Having said this, in my opinion, the piece could have used a bit more of a dramatic arch to tie things together and give the audience a slightly more satisfying journey.

Hebden Bridge Lantern Parade

2009-11-27T19:00:00.002Z

Yesterday we took part in a surprising and charming new event in Hebden Bridge. This year, for the first time, the Hebden Royd council sponsored a lantern parade as part of the lighting of the Christmas lights. It was a modest event put together in a few weeks time by Kerith Odgen (one of the lead Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade artists) thanks to workings by Jude Wadley before she left her post at the council. But this town loves events! Apparently the workshops were massively full with nearly 200 community lanterns made. The street and square were packed full. Kerith asked us to bring the samba band and some parade art and so we brought the Rain Queen. Even though she was made for the 2008 Handmade Parade, I think she finally found her stride. She looked much better at night surrounded by lanterns.

The band's main leaders weren't available but as we really wanted to support a local event, Kathy stepped up and did an amazing job! See a video by Jason Eliot here. See Heb Web's excellent photo gallery here (the first two photos here are from there, the bottom photo is from Ian Hodgson.

The parade also corresponded with the first day of our giant puppet masterclass. Six artists from Street Processions, a participatory arts group in Surrey, are training with us a for a week learning how to make and perform giant puppets. So, a part of day one lesson: how to assemble and perform the Rain Queen.

Kerith and I have been talking about an annual lantern event by the Handmade Parade. I think it's clear that the town's up for it.

The Coolest Get-in Ever

2009-11-24T23:23:00.002Z

For the second outing of "The Difference Engine", the show we created with Walk the Plank, we set up in an 1830's railway warehouse at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester--the first railway warehouse ever. The only way to get the bigger set piece in the space was the large doors which opened to the still functioning railway tracks. So for our get-in and get-out, we were allowed to use their classic little train. How cool is that?

Oh yeah, the shows were good as well.

Incanti Festival

2009-10-09T17:01:00.002+01:00

Kathy, Panchan and I just had a fantastic road trip down to Torino, Italy to perform "A November Day" at the Incanti Festival. This was the first time we performed a Thingumajig Theatre play outside of UK and US--more of this please. Really, it didn't make much sense to drive down to Italy, do one performance then drive right back; so we added a few days on either side of the trip and made it a mini holiday. On the way down, we visited some of the WW1 monuments near the Somme, visited Arras and Dijon and on the way back, stayed in Chambery in the Alps and had a couple days in Paris.

It was a brilliant trip on all levels. Had some amazing experiences, ate some gorgeous food, met some fantastic people. Some highlights include late night meals and flowing wine and conversation after shows in Torino (so nice to have a festival really look after the performers--you can tell it's organised by performers!) and this storm which blew in and out with such drama in Arras.

Giant Weekend

2009-09-22T19:40:00.007+01:00

It was a crazy busy weekend for Thingumajig Theatre. We had three full-on gigs in three days with quite a lot of driving in between. On Friday night we had three sets with Yeshe in Manchester at Platform 4 Piccadilly which was surprisingly pleasant for a Friday night gig in the centre of Manchester--only one incident with seriously drunk woman who desperately wanted to ride Yeshe. Then we were off down to Essex for the Witham Puppet Festival. It would have been a 4 hour drive but road works added another hour trip to the journey so we weren't in our accommodations until 2:30 am!

Then Saturday morning, joined by an additional puppeteer, we were off doing five sets of walkabouts (3 with Yeshe and 2 with Veronica). Very full on day but we got to see some spectacular giant puppets/street acts. My favourite were these stilted insects from Close-Act from the Netherlands. They were simple in one sense (the head, mandibles, arms and tail moved by the gyrations of the stilters) but had such incredible height and impact. I've never seen such excitement in a crowd from stilt costumes.

But also amazing were Bjorn the polar bear,

and Titan the robot.

Then on Sunday, we were back up north with Yeshe and Sock Snatcher at Bolton Abbey. Exhausting but well worth it. See an article here.

Race Dog Is Run

2009-09-05T09:28:00.004+01:00

Just finished the halfway point for the rehearsals for "Race Dog". We ended with a run for a small audience of friends. Folks seemed to enjoy it though there was some confusion as the set and puppets are only mocked up. I think the story, flow and characters are in good shape. We're exactly where we need to be: we have a shape and approximate timings and a musical and movement language we're pleased with. The crew now know exactly what set, puppets, costumes need to be made and what they need to do.

If all goes well, when we get back together in January for the second half of rehearsals, all the stuff will be done (like that's ever happened in the history of theatre). We'll be able to find the performance of each of the new makes, put them into the shape we have, run it a few times and we have a show. That's the plan anyway.

It's been a very pleasant and sane stay here in Denmark: a very reasonable rehearsal schedule (9 am to 3 pm, M-F), working with artists who know their stuff and know how to work together, working with a company who already trust me as director, not having the stress of an opening which is coming too soon and having the use of my own flat. It's almost like a proper, grown up person's life. But here's the best bit--I'm back home today and then I'm on holiday! I've been full-on, project after project since March or April. It's been a great summer for Thingumajig but, hellfire, I am so looking forward to striding out for a few days with my wife and my dog and thinking about absolutely nothing except what's for dinner and where to pitch the tent.

Wild in the Woods

2009-08-30T13:23:00.005+01:00

Last weekend was Islewilde on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, near Seattle.

Americans are weird. I miss them.

Day Off in Århus, Denmark

2009-08-29T18:13:00.004+01:00

Just had good look around Århus today. The original intention was to see what I can see of the Festival but actually, I mostly had a great time just looking around the shops and people watching. The streets were packed with people having a nice time despite the occasional rain. Saw some fun automata by the river. There were loads of bands and some street acts and a battle of teen bands which was part of something unfortunately titled "Smells Like Teens." I understand the Nirvana reference but I think they really should have checked with a native English speaker before going to press.

There was this great solar-powered PA on a bike cart creating a moving dance party with some very Scandinavian dancers in green. It would have been right at home with the colour trail we did in Liverpool or at Burning Man.

Also happened on a great exhibit by Søren Behncke who works with cardboard, manipulated street signs and other common artifacts of world. He just seems to have a good laugh at high art and culture. Loved this cardboard truck and the road kill. Here's a nice video of a barn he made sing a pop song.

But really, my favourite bit was looking around all the little shops full of very clever but largely unnecessary household designs. The Danish love design and going into a shop of kitchen, bathroom, office supplies is just pure eye candy.

No, I take it back, the best part of the day was this exhibit by the Danish National Parks which featured the diversity of the country's flora and fauna by giving free samples of food you can find at the parks: salmon, shrimp, elderberry wine, venison, and even a shot of vodka infused with some wild herbs (gotta love this country--you'd never have a family-friendly kiosk of park rangers giving free shots of booze in the states or UK). And as an alternative to marshmallows, they had buckets of bread dough for you to make your own bread on a stick over the BBQ--it was delicious.

Race Dog--End of Week Two

2009-08-28T17:19:00.005+01:00

Just finished the second week of rehearsals of "Race Dog", the new play indoor/outdoor mask play I'm directing for Theatret Thalias Tjenere. We've sketched out the entire play and finished the week with a run through. Of course it's very rough and there's probably a scene or two which needs to change in a major way but actually, we're not so far off. It ran about 38 minutes which is very close to the target time of 40 minutes but the whole play is very fast. Lots of characters, quick changes and sudden mood shifts. One minute it's silly fun, the next it's touchingly dramatic then back again. I think there's certainly plenty to hold the attention of an outdoor crowd but all the rapid changes creates a hectic job for Loz Kaye, the music director. But having moved this far in two weeks gives us a whole week to tweak and flesh out the story and characters in our remaining week of this first half of rehearsals. We'll be in great shape by the end of this leg.

Weekend off! Time to walk around Århus and see a bit of their festival. (But also, I need to catch up on some other work including designing a crocodile puppet.)

Den Store Bastian

2009-08-21T17:56:00.005+01:00

After a solid and satisfying first week of rehearsals of their new show "Race Dog", I went along with the Theatret Thalias Tjenere company to see "Den Store Bastian", the play I directed for them two and a half years ago. They were performing as part of a festival in Randers. They were set in the middle of the town square had a healthy crowd of festival goers and walk-ups. It was such a pleasure to see how the play has settled. The story and the blocking I know so well is still there but the character and the "business" has evolved. The audience seemed very engaged, entertained, and frightened--not easy to to do in the middle of a town centre. Even I was laughing out loud and I knew what was coming next.

It's big shoes to fill. We want this next show as good as or better than Bastian. I'm sure it will be visually exciting and the story is in fairly good shape. We need to dig a little more into the heart of the piece and find engaging characters and a bit of substance. I think we're on track but it's so hard to know what you have until you have it. Or don't.

On a completely random note, I've met some interesting characters here at my inn including an American professor in Europe for the first time who's at a technical writing conference and a Norwegian athlete who is here for the freediving world championships. I just met the man who can swim farther than anyone else in the world on one breath.

Race Dog--Rehearsals Begin

2009-08-18T17:36:00.004+01:00

I'm back in Denmark for the next three weeks where I'm directing the new play by Theatret Thalias Tjenere. It's working title is "Race Dog" and it's about a star-crossed love between dogs of different breeds and class. It's a bit of fun but hopefully has a meaningful resonance pointing out the ridiculousness of the racial intolerance which is sweeping through Europe. The company's directors are the proud dog mommy and daddy of a very cute pug so guess which breed the most of the main characters are. (I suppose it's no different to the main dog character in "A November Day" who looked uncannily like our Panchan.)

The first day of rehearsal was setting up the goal posts for these three weeks (I'll be back for the second half of rehearsals in January 2010) and having a bit of a play with the masks which are half done. All three of the performers are very experienced and have worked together for many years so it all works very quickly and effectively. The characters where spilling out as soon as tried on the masks. I had to stop myself from blocking the scenes straight away as I want to make sure we have plenty of exploration before we set anything. Such a pleasure to work with people who know their craft.

I directed their last play ("Den Store Bastian" or "Slovenly Peter") which has been a big success for them. They are performing it this Friday so I'm looking forward to seeing how it's evolved in the two and a half years since I saw it last.

Colour Trail

2009-08-16T20:51:00.005+01:00

Kathy and I spent the weekend as one stop on the Colour Trail, a hands-on art activity for kids created by the Liverpool Lantern Company for Art on the Waterfront on Albert Dock Liverpool, produced by Walk the Plank.

We borrowed some gamelan instruments from Gong Fusion (a former gamelan/Western fusion band in Hebden Bridge) and had kids play a song on them based on a colour dot code. It was good fun though the first day it choose to rain as we were setting up and again just when we were taking it down.

There were three other carts: one which introduced the trail and had a maypole dance, a colouring and dress-up cart, and a messy painting cart. As you can see, we got off easy as far as set-up and clean-up.

The Liverpool Lantern Company were also part of the Saturday night spectacle. They made these lantern ferris wheels on bikes and on the cart and loaded them with lanterns made in open workshops. We paraded these in to start a remarkable performance which featured a brilliant light, video projection and music show on the Port of Liverpool building. I've never seen such large video projections (apparently 6 synchronised projectors) and images and animation so cleverly coordinated with lighting and sound. At moments, it looked as if someone was painting the building then laters coloured dots where dancing all over it.

There were also dozens of street acts that were performing all weekend such as these illuminated bike characters. Loads of art. Always a good gig working for the Liverpool Lantern Company--looking forward to the Halloween Carnival.

"A November Day" Showreel

2009-08-14T18:08:00.005+01:00

Finally had a chance to make the showreel for "A November Day." After such a big push to get it up and running last year, I suppose when we had finished our tour, I was ready to move on to the next thing.

However, we are proud of the show and want to keep performing it. Without much booking energy, we've been able to get three gigs this autumn: Norwich Puppet Theatre, Gulbenkian in Canterbury, and a puppet festival in Italy! Take a look at this, our show in Italian. Neither of us have been to Italy so we're going to stretch out the trip a bit so can have a look around. You need to have some perks for being poor puppeteers.

Skeletons Warming Themselves

2009-08-07T10:05:00.005+01:00

Here's a LINK to an extraordinary piece of mask/film designed by one of my favourite theatre artists--Julian Crouch. It's part of series of films by Philip Haas (Angels and Insects) commissioned by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas based on the painting by James Ensor.

Julian Crouch is the designer/maker who is a part of Improbable Theatre and the director/designer of Shockheaded Peter. When I was but a wide-eyed midwestern boy, I saw 70 Hill Lane and Spirit and then Shockheaded Peter on tour in Minneapolis. I was absolutely blown away by these shows and how they used objects and puppets in such refreshing ways to get to emotional truths so quickly and clearly.

As I approach creating new works, I find myself quoting favourite, inspiring works. These most often happen to be works by Bread and Puppet, Figuren Theater Tübingen and Improbable/Julian Crouch. My secret pleasure is, since moving to England, I find myself alongside several of the artists who worked on Shockheaded Peter (Jo Pocock, Tony Cairns, Kevin Pollard, Phil Eddolls)

Stockton Carnival!

2009-08-03T00:03:00.005+01:00

After three very intense weeks of teaching workshops, going to loads of rehearsals of community arts groups and some very long days of making, it's done. It rained quite a bit at parade line-up and during the parade but it graciously stopped right before the finale started. The finale went without a hitch. The performers, the music, all the big makes it all came together (maybe even better than I expected). All the organising and all the rehearsals paid off. I felt very proud: it was the first time the carnival ended with this sort of finale and many people seemed to really appreciate what I brought to it.

I was also pleased the way these kite birds turned out. With directing the finale and being one of the workshop leaders, it was a bit ambitious to make 3 giant puppets (at first I was planning to make 4) and the last one only really came off the clay a day and a half before the event but they looked great. I think because I haven't really had the time in any of this year's projects to make giant puppets (except in Denmark but they were collectively made so that doesn't count), I was hungry to make something big and fabulous. But it would have never happened without Kathy working crazy hours with me that last week, the tremendous papier mache help of two local teenagers: Ryan and Rose, and having a very patient and good natured dog.

Kathy and I really enjoyed batiking the costumes. I've done a little here and there but never mixed up the dyes and such. It's such a fast and forgiving technique to make glorious colours and light flowing movement.

This stork which is really a one-use, rolled cardboard and bamboo puppet turned out quite nice--good movement and lots of character. It's nice to make a few things quickly and just let the roughness give it character. I suppose between the Kite birds and the rough and ready stork, I was showing off my Bread and Puppet lineage.

During the carnival parade itself, Kathy and I played in the Hebden Bridge Handmade Samba Brigade which was great fun. We had a small but lively crew, two stilters, eight drummers and Veronica. See more photos HERE.

Stockton Carnival--11 Days to Go

2009-07-21T22:26:00.003+01:00

Week and a half to go and it's starting to look colourful at the Stockton Carnival workshops! Here's a toy bear head and a helter skelter by Morwenna Catt, a Bradford artist who makes some amazing work. (Her website and blog are well worth a look. I especially like the x-ray animals and the latest Bradford Lord Mayor's Parade which she made with fellow carnival artist Duncan Burnett.)

I finished one of my banner workshops. Here are sun banners by Stockton Imagination. They are watered down acrylics on cotton.

And here is a lovely shot of Shirley Wells, another of the carnival artists making her Dreams fairy who seems to be enjoying her hair treatment.

Difference Engine Video Stills

2009-07-21T08:08:00.004+01:00

I'm eagerly waiting for the official photos from the Walk the Plank photographer from "The Difference Engine", the show we created for the Manchester International Festival 11+12 July but until then, here are some stills I've pulled from my camcorder.

Veronica on Parade

2009-07-18T13:28:00.003+01:00

We were just sent this photo from the Heart of the Forest festival (photo copyright Staffordshire Newpapers). Just your average small town English parade but what's that big green thing in the front?

Stockton Carnival

2009-07-15T00:10:00.002+01:00

Next thing: Stockton Carnival. On Sunday I was a mad scientist, today I am a bird and sun banner making teacher/finale director. Really could have used a day or two off but due to the last four major projects, I haven't really got my head around this one until now. But what a way to start! On Monday, after two hours of driving, I was in about 5 hours of meetings and 3 hours of workshop prep. Today, I had two workshops, more prep and just wrote the first version of the finale scenario. Needless to say I'm absolutely knackered. But after these two days, it should settle down a little bit. That is, until I have to go into high production mode for the finale.

Despite it all happening a bit to quickly, the workshops were both very sweet. And I got a free school lunch!

The Difference Engine--Get-in and Tech

2009-07-04T08:10:00.001+01:00

After a fantastic first week of rehearsals of "The Difference Engine" at the Museum of Science and Industry we've spent this second week moving in and installing into the courtyard of the Manchester Town Hall. It's looking fantastic. Here's the steampunk computer where we start the show designed by Jo Pocock and built by Brian Tweedle. The "screen" is a toy theatre stage.

There are so many elements to this show, so many big makes which each need adjusting into the space. We haven't spent very much time actually rehearsing these last two days but I think as we'll still be in fine shape. We have our tech run today and hopefully our first non-stop run in the space later this afternoon. We have our first test audience tomorrow. K and I are exhausted--I think it's a combination of stress and standing about for 8 hours a day on cobbles.

Ghost Ship

2009-06-30T22:11:00.003+01:00

Here a great video of an event by Walk the Plank, the company we're collaborating with on "The Difference Engine". Gorgeous stuff. It's amazing just how much they can pull off.

The Difference Engine--First Week of Rehearsals

2009-06-27T21:53:00.002+01:00

Just finished the first week of rehearsals of "The Difference Engine" a show Kathy and I are creating with Walk the Plank for the Manchester International Festival. It's a site-specific, promenade piece for younger audience in the Manchester Town Hall. Kathy and I are writing, directing, music directing and performing in it but there are loads of people involved. Its not the usually Thingumajig Theatre play where Kathy and I do everything so it's been hard to get a handle on the project. But now, with the parade done, we can put our energy (what's left of it) on this. And one week in and it's looking pretty good and still has a Thingumajig Theatre feel to it. Even with a cast of six and about ten different makers on it.

We have an excellent cast who are not only good performers but folks who will muck in with ideas but not too precious about things. The show is designed by Jo Pocock of Liverpool Lantern Company so everything we're seeing is looking great. Above is the spider made and performed by Eilidh Bryon. I already knew she was a good maker--it's really nice to see her perform more.

We've blocked most of the play and today, we finished the week with a run. Felt like we're really getting somewhere. After the rush of such a successful parade, I wasn't sure we'd be 100% ready to start rehearsals of a new play but actually, once we started, we found ourselves really excited about making it work. A parade and a play require such completely different skills so perhaps I'm not as burnt out as I thought. Or it's just the fear of God or fear of public humiliation. Go figure.

Tomorrow is the first day off in over five weeks--since we that weekend in Denmark! Only this time we probably we're so exhausted that we probably won't even leave the house. In fact, as soon as I post this, the computer and the router are having a day off as well.

2009 Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade

2009-06-21T23:45:00.005+01:00

We had an absolutely brilliant time yesterday with the parade. Despite a little rain in the morning everything went off without a hitch. In fact, somewhere around the Raising of the Sun pageant in the park, the sun did make an appearance. We had about 530 people in the parade and another 140 or so performers in the park and the streets were very lined with people the entire route.

I'm still buzzing from the whole experience. Folks really came out and made some fabulous art. There was so much colour, creativity, passion and silly fun. I can't believe something that was just a little idea I had a couple years back has been so quickly embraced by this community. I am exhausted but very, very pleased. See the parade website for links to some great photo galleries.

How about this as a family portrait: I'm the tall beggar, the gnome is my wife.

It's been mad here at Thingumajig Theatre. We've had big project after big project this spring into summer and all of them have gone very well--the residency at Bishop Bilsborrow, the giant puppet workshop in Denmark, and now the second Handmade Parade. We're on a bit of a roll--let's hope this carries on to the Manchester International Festival play. Rehearsals start on Tuesday!

One Week to Go

2009-06-13T20:35:00.009+01:00

We're a week away from the big event and the workshop is getting full. There's a lovely energy lately--people seem to be really enjoying themselves making their own costumes but also just hanging around, helping with the bigger builds and just chatting. One of my goals this year with the parade was to get more adults participating. Between the Samba band and the parade art classes, the workshop seems to be buzzing every evening with adults making all sorts of things. Here's a short movie of the Sun made in Kerith's giant withies workshop.

We have an amazing crew of volunteers, many of whom are taking one or more parade art classes. It's great to have people coming into the workshop in odd times making their project just a little bit better. It's the creative, nurturing village I so loved about other events such as MayDay, Islewilde and Fremont Summer Solstice. It's what I missed most living and working in the UK so I'm proud that I've been able to start something which is not only a nice-looking event but building towards a vibrant and generous art community right here in my new home town.

I finally started on the big tree I've been meaning to make. The reality of being one of the main organisers is that I don't actually get very much time to make my own art. I thought about cutting the tree (no pun intended) but decided I have to have something just for me. So even if it might mean longer nights, this is the base which will be a tree puppet. The base is timber with some castors. I built up a bamboo frame and next I will sculpt withies to shape it; then cover bits in muslin, paint it then add some green leaves.

The other exciting news is that I'm learning how to weld! It's a skill I've often wished I knew how to do but was never in the right situation to learn. Dave Young, one of the lead artists has generously shown me the basics and I'm helping him put together some of his giant ant and spider. This below is my very first weld. Sure, it's not much to look at, just a blob of steel, but it's my blob of steel.

It was big day for Thingumajig Theatre today. I don't mean to be too arrogant but our footprint in West Yorkshire was quite large today. While we where giving parade workshops in Hebden Bridge for the parade we started and co-produce, our giant puppet Veronica was doing walkabouts at the Bradford Mela and the Samba band I started was performing at a parade in Halifax!

Outside Again

2009-06-05T19:43:00.003+01:00

At the back of the parade workshop, there's a great space which opens up to a woodsy area over the river. Not quite as scenic as the giant puppet workshop last week, plus you get a dog. But I must admit, this glorious outside work was short lived: not long after this photo was taken, the wind picked up and it started to rain so back inside.

I spent the day making stilts to tomorrow's workshop. Not quite finished but I promised K that I'd have an early night as we've been working a bit too hard lately.

This morning we went to see Brian Tweedle in Sowerby Bridge. We need to check out some of the set pieces for the show we're writing and directing for the Manchester International Festival. Things are looking great--it quite a change working on a show with so many artists working on it when we're used to doing all the work ourselves. It's a big show so there's really no way a few people can make everything but I don't know if I have a handle on all the elements that are happening. I suppose this is what must happen in the rehearsal process. Here's the design by Jo Pocock for the set piece which Brian is making based on the story element which K and I wrote.

Parade is Starting to Take Shape

2009-06-04T23:56:00.004+01:00

Here's what we walking into this morning: Kerith Odgen, of the section leaders and the artist who made the Heron of last year's parade has started a sun in her Parade Art Class. It's amazing how quickly that woman can crank out big beautiful things.

Today was the second day of open workshops. We had a nice healthy crowd--about 30 or so and nicely distributed in all the sections. Dave's ants are becoming legion.

But for me, most of today was spent making stilts. I had my first stilt workshop today. In the middle of the day, I had a bit of a panic as I had the wrong size wood for the bolts I had and I just didn't have the time or the tools to deal with it. Thankfully, Tom our production manager cut some wood for me of the right width and Dave lent me the appropriate socket wrench and drill bits to do the job. We have such a great team of people putting this together.

I love teaching stilting. It seems like such an impossible thing but actually, for children and fairly nimble adults, it only takes about 15 minutes to learn (with the right equipment and the right teacher, of course). It's so great to see the joy in people's faces when realise that they can do it. I've also done something a little different this time around: I've staggered the first class so I have some today and some starting on Saturday. This turned out to be a good idea as it's always difficult on the first day as I can only really help one person at a time which others have to wait.

We now three more people who know how to stilt in Hebden Bridge. Another good day.

Giants Here, Giants There

2009-06-03T21:50:00.005+01:00

In the midst of all the hustle of setting up the parade workshop in Hebden Bridge, I went off to Liverpool to help them get ready for the Lord Mayor's Parade which is this Saturday. I was asked to come in for a few hours as the puppetry movement coach for some new and some revamped giant puppets. It looks like a fabulous parade: The Liverpool Lantern Company has teamed up with LUXE, a Northern Ireland company who works in inflatable costumes and big sculptures to create a parade of 1300 participants on a environmental theme. The costumes look absolutely amazing--some of the best I've ever seen in the two plus years I've worked with them. I'm really sorry to miss the parade but I'll be teaching Handmade Parade workshops. Jo, the director has offered to lend us some of the costumes for our parade so I'll see some of them first hand.

Look at this sweet turtle she's made. It's heads legs are made with her puffy lantern technique (see Jo's Heads post from last year) while the body is build on a bike parts and steel constructed in such a way that all four legs move off the turning of the wheel.

It's the easiest giant puppet in the world--you can drive it with one hand and turn the head with the other hand. Hi-tech/lo-tech at it's finest.

One of the other puppets I coached was the Swimmer. We made this for them their last year's Lord Mayor's Parade (see the movie HERE). He was given a diving mask, tank and flippers.

Earlier in the day in Hebden Bridge, Jamima of Spacecadets started working in the parade workshop. She'll be our artist-in-residence making these giant inflatable ladybirds with whoever wants to come and help. It's a good day seeing so many giant parade art in one day.

Handmade Parade Workshops Begin!

2009-06-02T23:04:00.003+01:00

The 2009 Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade is now officially up and running! After three tough days of setting up the workshop, drawing storyboards and making mock-ups, we opened to the public for two workshops today.

It was a gentle start, just a few families at a time but actually, it was a perfect way for us to practice how to teach what we would make. The bees where very popular and not far behind were the ants and the ladybirds.

Here's the workshop space which was donated to us for these three weeks by Setbray, a local commercial estate agents who are very generous to community groups. They donated the space we used last year as well. And here is the workshop set up to go.

It was a tough transition for Kathy and me as last week was so full-on and we didn't really get to have a break in between. But now that the workshop is ready, we can breath a bit and start to actually get excited about this parade.

Ærø Workshop-Days Nine and Ten: Mission Accomplished!

2009-05-29T20:50:00.004+01:00

Just finished our last day of class--what an amazing success! At the beginning of the day, all the components were done except just a few costume details and the hair needed to be attached on to both puppets. After a fast and furious morning of attending to details, we put the puppets together completely for the first time.

We went over some basics of how to (and how not to) perform in a giant puppet and then took the puppets out one at a time. Then after a quick lunch, we dressed ourselves up in decorative blues and green. Then at 2:30pm, just as the ferry was landing, we suited up and with the help of a fabulous fairground organ, we were alive and kicking. We did a fine turn at the ferry dock and then walked through town to the Ærøskøbing museum to help kick off a mask exhibit there. The puppets looked fabulous against the tiny houses and cobbled streets of this fairy tale town. And sure enough, after a little while, both the Mermaid and the Sea King started to find their characters: the Mermaid was fascinated by shiny things and loved looking into windows; the Sea King was distracted by a pub or two.

Despite the wind, the students became full-fledged puppeteers and really stepped up to the challenge. As soon as that organ started and the audience started responding, it all made sense why we did all this work these last two weeks. You could just feel the joy and excitement in the maker/performers and the audience alike. It was beautiful, strange and fun. Kathy and I felt so proud.

I didn't get a chance to write about the Day Nine of the process as we had a long day and a long night (of eating, drinking and singing) so I just couldn't be bothered blogging. But just to be thorough: on Day Nine, we spent the entire day painting everything and finishing the costumes and hair. In the morning, I gave a painting demonstration of how to paint to maximise shading for outdoor work which needs to be read from a distance then turned them loose. It was a fabulous and sloppy day. There was also a news crew filming for Danish television who seemed very interested in all of this.

In the evening, we all gathered at one of the student's house and had a big old potluck to wrap up the process. Some delicious dishes (especially if you eat pork), some great comments, plenty of wine and, the best bit: lots and lots of folk songs. The Danes are just like Koreans--get some alcohol in them and you can't get them to stop singing! Kathy and I were forced to learn the Ærø national anthem. Here's a short movie of the singing:

Speaking of Korea, Kathy and I presented Susan and Helge, the workshop organisers, a gift of a pojagi (Korean patchwork wrapping cloth) and a mask. The mask was based on Imae, a fool from the Hahoe tradition. We had secretly been borrowing workshop materials in the evenings to make this mask and I think it turned out quite well. They seemed very pleased.

Tomorrow early in the morning, we are off: car, ferry, three trains, airplane, another airplane, shuttle bus, our van and then we're back home cuddling our dog on our very own couch. We've experienced so much that it seems like we've been here forever. But I'm certian that this beautiful bright island, the kind people, and the fabulous fun of making giant puppets here will stay in our hearts forever.

Ærø Workshop-Day Eight

2009-05-27T22:20:00.005+01:00

It's a great group of hard-working, creative and motivated students--eight days in and believe it or not, we're on schedule. Possibly a first for a project this complicated. Today, we finished all the bits which make the two puppets. The Mermaid has her torso sculpted and scrimmed.

Yes, these are her breasts being scrimmed. I had a very surreal conversation about what materials to use to make the breast have the best sag and bounce. These Danish people have an odd sense of fun. I just can't quite imagine a group of adults making sagging boobs on a giant puppet (there is talk of a pierced nipple as well) in any of the communities I've worked with in the US and UK. Surely someone would have spoken up and be offended, etc.

The Sea King's costume is well under way. There is a professional costumer in our team and he's really taken on the King's robe. It's much fancier than Kathy and I would have tried to make in a two-week workshop but why not? You're not gonna say no to a bit of glamour, are you.

The King also has a very nice ship and the start of a great sea wig. Everything is now made and all the paintable bits are scrimmed and base coated. In our final day of build, we will do all the painting and finish the costumes and hair. It'll be a busy day but very do-able. Plus we have a Danish TV news crew coming tomorrow so get your sound bite ready.

In the lunch hour, we went to the Ærøskøbing museum where we saw some of the old traditional gauze masks which were used before the plastic masks which are now used (which we saw on Monday). They are very graceful and beautiful. It's just one layer of a Buckram or linen-type of material which is formed over a mould and embedded with a glue, painted and given a fabric rim. Most just have one overlap on the chin. No one really knows how they were made as they've been using the plastic ones for 40 years or so but Susan talked about wanting to figure out how to make them to bring back the tradition so they are using handmade masks made locally.

Ærø Workshop-Day Seven

2009-05-26T23:21:00.003+01:00

It's crunch time. No more carefully explaining the build process, going over possible material options, having discussions about design choices--it's "get it done and move on to the next thing on the list."

Today, the back of the Sea King was made and we seemed to spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to get the head to turn correctly. For some reason, it was happy to look left but not to the right. The head's a little lop-sided and I fear I made the pivot point too high. But I think in the end we got it to move enough to be convincing.

The ship for the top of the Sea King was made.

The Mermaid's torso is sculpted and the poles and arms attached. And the Sea King's costume is under way. Our goal is to finish all the rigging tomorrow and all the painting and costumes by end of the day on Thursday so Friday we can work with movement and get ready for the 2:45 performance at the arrival of the ferry. So much for quiet, peaceful island--GET TO WORK!

Ærø workshop--Day Six

2009-05-25T21:35:00.005+01:00

We're back to the workshop and had a great day. All the papier mache came off (except one King hand which we didn't finish sculpting until we had the King head off as I underestimated the clay we needed) and they are all now attached back together.

The heads and hands have the wood attached to the sculptures and are ready to be attached to their bamboo poles.

We also now have a hook for the Mermaid (papier mache of a trumpet-shaped lamp plus wire, cardboard and papier mache--this is Kathy having a bit of fun, she'll really be 3.5 meters up in the air), scrimmed the Mermaid's tail and started weaving the Mermaid's torso. We have a basket maker as one of our students so I've asked her to weave a frame for the Mermaid's torso. She soaked willow for two days and used this great weaving technique for having willows meet each other.

After class, Susan took us to meet a keeper of the masks of Bregninge, a small village on Ærø where there is still a strong tradition of masquerade. Ærø is one of four islands in Denmark which still has a living mask tradition. On Ærø, traditions vary from town to town but on Bregninge, on Twelfth Night, villagers put on masks, cover themselves from head to two and go visit their neighbours. Neighbours who are willing hosts put on their outdoor lights. The masked characters come up with elaborate stories about who they are and talk in a falsetto in an archaic regional dialect. The hosts give them drinks (which they drink through straws) and just by leading questions, try to guess who is playing the masked characters. A party of masked characters may start at 7pm and go house to house until very late at night, getting progressively drunk at each house. This carries on for four or five nights.

The masks in this town are purchased masks made from plastic but some are 40 to 50 years old. The masks were originally made from gauze but they wouldn't last more than a night of revelry so the tradition turned to plastic. The mask room we visited was of a family who is 7 generations in the village and has a very impressive collection of masks and costumes--many of which are handmade--collected over many years which are available for the masquerade sessions.

A Weekend Off!

2009-05-24T23:31:00.005+01:00

After a very busy few months, we finally took a weekend off. Of course it helps that we're on a beautiful island, the weather was gorgeous and we were knackered from the week of giant puppet making. (Funny thing is, while we were resting and sight-seeing, Veronica, one of our giant puppets was working the crowds back home.)

We spent most of our days hanging out at our lovely B&B but did manage to venture out a few hours a day.

On Saturday, we saw some street theatre by a German troupe called Live on Street who were trying our some new material. The stilted monkey barker showed off this walking puppet stage friend. Good fun. We met them the day before as they were very interested in seeing our giant puppets in progress. They were looking at the structures a long time--I wouldn't be surprised if they added some big creatures to their repertoire. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the old streets of Ærøskøbing, the harbour (where this 200-year-old cook house was)

and took a walk by the beach along the beach houses and these ponies.

On Sunday we went to Søby on the north of the island, had a bite by the harbour and then drove up to the very northwest tip of the island which has a nice lighthouse

and found a rocky beach where we played at skipping stones.

Also stopped at a Neolithic burial monument, a windmill which is completely covered in thatch and the church near our B&B. Being raised in America, it's hard to imagine buildings as old as 1697 just around the corner. I've posted more photos HERE. Nicely rested, I'm looking forward to getting back to the giants tomorrow.

Ærø Workshop-Day Five

2009-05-23T11:34:00.004+01:00

End of the first week and halfway done with the project. Here are our two youngest students checking to see if the papier mache is dry.

Despite the sea breeze and the sun, when we pulled him off the mould the Sea King was a little softer on the inside than I had hoped so required a little TLC to put him back together. This had something to do with having so many layer so quickly that the inside never had a chance to dry even thought the outside seemed very dry. This and the fact that I thought we could end the week a step ahead of ourselves.

We had to put a "Do not touch" on it as there are so many curious tourists and people waiting of the ferry who look around the workshop. Here's a photo of where our workshop is:

We also took the bodies a step further. The King now has shoulders and the Mermaid has a tail. Now a much-needed weekend off!

Ærø Workshop-Day Four

2009-05-21T21:56:00.005+01:00

Today we finished papier mache on the two heads. Thanks to the sun and a brisk sea breeze I think we'll be ready to take them off the clay tomorrow. We also finished papier mache on two of the hands and the base of the Mermaid's hook which by coincidence was a light fixture that one of the student's boyfriend found in a flea market sale and just happened to be the right size. We also started making the framework for the bodies.

This is always a part I think about for several days and then do myself with a little bit of trial and error so it was odd to try to explain my process for this. And have to explain why after I see something, I see it's not right and try it another way. There is no set way to make a giant puppet frame because every one is different. There are so many things to consider: the size, weight, how it's performed, how it needs to interact with the audience, how it needs to be stored and transported, what materials are available, how much time you have and so on. I suppose you only learn from doing it over and over again.

Ærø Workshop-Day Three

2009-05-20T21:58:00.004+01:00

Just finished day three and we're cooking with gas! This may be the first workshop where I feel we're ahead of where I thought we'd be. It's a cracking team of students, eager to learn with loads of skills and with a fierce work ethic. It's such a pleasure to teach people who are excited to learn.

Today we finished sculpting the heads--this odd photo is the class trying to determine if the Sea King's eyes can focus after I talked about the importance of the eyes.

We also finished sculpting two of the hands. This is the mermaid's hand. The other will be a hook--their idea, not mine.

Here's Susan, the mask maker who brought us here and is looking after us giving a demonstration of the best wallpaper paste you can get in Denmark. We had asked her for corn starch but they couldn't find any in Denmark so we decided to use what is easy to find there. As it turns out, it's a great paste--brings me back to the old Golden Harvest paste we used to use at In the Heart of the Beast before they changed the formula.

Here the King is getting a layer of plastic on. He's seems quite pleased with all the attention. It was a sunny glorious day with a nice breeze so after a couple of layers, we took the heads out to papier mache. I think we drummed up a lot of curiosity for the Mask Festival, especially when the ferry was loading/unloading. In our line of work, there's not much better than papier mache-ing outside.

Ærø Workshop-Day Two

2009-05-19T20:25:00.001+01:00

On our second day, we finished the armature for the two heads by sculpting with heavy wire on the wood frames we made on day one. Then stuffed this with recycling--tins, plastic bottles, cardboard and newspaper, cover with plastic or hessian (for the mermaid head as she needs to be sculpted all the way around).

Then sculpted with clay. The Sea King turned out huge. He was supposed to be 85 cm tall, he's almost a meter. He might look a bit funny but I think his sculpture turned out nicely. We're having a little trouble with the Mermaid sticking to the hessian. I don't think the clay was pushed in hard enough. Perhaps I should have given more of a hands-on demonstration of this. But I think it'll be fine.

During lunch, one of these wood sailing ships set off. On it was an accordion player and a singer singing a sailor song of farvel (farewell)--what a lovely tradition.