Storytelling

I consider myself a storyteller. I use words, visuals, puppets, my body and, most recently, Virtual Reality. Any medium can facilitate storytelling. To colour in my background for you, please find below a synopsis of my life in London as a puppeteer/actor and some of my short films.

Short Films

Most recently I made this little short film about my experience of visiting New York city for the first time. More films on my Vimeo page.

A trip to Poland produced this:

Puppetry and Theatre

I am a puppeteer with 18 years professional puppetry experience in theatre, film and TV. While studying Performing Arts in South Africa, I had the good fortune of simultaneously doing a puppetry apprenticeship under a puppet master for three years. I learnt the art of marionette manipulation and worked on productions in our State Theatre.

I moved to London in 2001 where I lived and worked until 2009. I worked on numerous projects as a puppet manipulator and constructor. I am experienced in Rod-, Glove-, Shadow puppetry, Object theatre, “Muppet-style” puppets and a blend of the above. For a while, I also trained with the master Clown Nola Rae.

2018

For the first time ever, I will exhibited puppets in a gallery space. I showcase some marionettes and rod puppets and also do a 5 min. “happening”. Some images of the event and progress photos are here.

2012

I directed a music video for the fantastic Frankie Beagle, which included shadow puppetry scenes created by myself. Have a look at the music video for “Sailor Song”:

2009 – 2011

In 2009 wrote a fairy tale which I made  into a shadow puppet play for a friend’s birthday in an informal London wine-bar. In 2011 I was back in my native South Africa. I created a one woman show “Dragon Face” which built on the fairy tale performance I gave in London. It’s about a woman and the dragon she falls in love with. The 18-minute show can be viewed here in full. Work-in-progress photos can be viewed here.

November 2008

If you have ever been to London in November, you will understand how cold it was… One of the best film shoots I have ever done was on In the Blackout by Pulse Films. I was part of a team of puppeteers clad in woolly black from head to toe,  who had to make two garments (a dress and a pair of overalls) come to life in an empty cement parking lot late one winter’s night. Sounds like fun? The finished project is here or below:

It being the end of the year and all, there were also loads of corporate functions happening. Here I am doing a shadow puppetry show of the Nativity Scene for a Central London company’s Christmas Party.

Earlier in 2008 and 2007

As part of the preparation for my one-woman show Huh? in August 2008 I played around with different ideas for puppetry that I could use. I started with a weird puppet that I could attach to my arm, wear as a mask and dismantle. I love the idea that one can shape something right in front of the audience or transform objects from one idea into another on stage. In the end I didn’t use any of my initial puppets. Instead, I focused on object theatre, found objects as well as a kind of doll’s-house-effect. Stills from the final show and marketing materials are here.

2007

I was chosen to participate in two week-long training workshops at The Little Angel Theatre in London as part of the John Wright Centenary Heritage Project. These workshops enhanced my skills in puppet manipulation and taught me the basics of carving puppets from wood. I am no expert in this amazing craft, but it is definitely something I would like to pursue at a later stage.

That same year the production Baby Talk was devised by The Crescent Theatre Workshop. It was also accepted as part of the Camden Fringe Festival 2007. I designed and constructed all the puppets for the show and manipulated a notoriously naughty “toddler”, amongst others.

I manipulated some very funky puppets for a TV pilot. As far as I know the production is still very hush-hush while they are looking for a TV channel to pic it up. If it does get off the ground, I promise you it will definitely be THE NEXT BIG THING.

2005-2006

I played around with the idea of doing a short film with marionettes. I made some puppets and did test shots to see if it would work. I think there is great scope for using puppetry as vehicle to approach seriously themed story lines. It is also exciting and interesting to blend different “realities”, be it mine , yours or a puppet’s. This project had to be put on the back-burner for a few years, but I definitely want to finish writing the script in the future.

2005

I built two “Muppet”–style puppets for a TV pilot. The project never got off the ground, but it was a good technical challenge working with green screens and monitors.

2004

I toured nationally across the UK with the famous Sooty Show. The show consists of a few glove puppets barely bigger than your hand and…the BIGGEST theatre set in the world! For a puppet I mean! Touring was hard work, but good fun. I got to see a lot of the country and the insides of some pretty fine UK theatres.

PS: Six months of touring and I did not take a single photo of Sooty and I. *sigh* Waaay before the selfie-age…