Hello World! Welcome back to another blog. Today I will be taking you through some shows I went to see as part of Nottingham Puppet Festival 2024. Puppetry has always been a thing that has taken an interest, and being on the autistic spectrum it's helped me to express my traits in ways in which normal therapy wouldn't. So when this event was happening I couldn't miss this opportunity.
So without further ado, here are three shows I saw during this amazing festival:
Dragon:
The first show I went to see was Dragon on 14th April, performed at the Lakeside Arts Theatre by Life and Limb Puppets.
As mentioned in the programme for Nottingham puppet festival, this is a “fantasy genre puppet show without words, combining cutting edge projection and digital animation with beautiful live puppetry, performed by a cast of three”. And it tells the story of “a young, orphaned child who’s is reluctantly taught their hunting duties by their older sibling. But this is a land where dragons are real, and they will soon learn of the dark magic at the heart of their idyllic world”.
This show used more of a visual affects, and you really had to look and listen to get the full story. This definitely reminded me of Pingu, as they only use mutters and gibberish speaking but by physical actions you could tell what they’re trying to do. I thought the puppeteering was beautiful, and whoever puppeteered Ebon (at least that’s the name I heard) was gorgeous and they make it look so when in fact it’s not. And the Dragon itself was a masterpiece, as even though it was a head and a claw, the way it’s presented makes it look bigger than it should be.
Another thing that stood out to me from the show was the combination of Puppetry and visuals. As I feel it was one of those shows where you had to get the timings right, and that if anything was out of sync, then it could jeopardise the whole piece. But thankfully it wasn’t.
I don’t think I had any downsides to it, but I think one thing that would’ve let the side down is if those who don’t understand shows visually need to ask what’s happening, I think that’s what would’ve bothered me. As there was a child who asked this parent what was happening in each moment. I’ll probably let that one slide as they were only a child but if that was one of my grown up family members I think I would loose concentration from watching this beautiful piece of art. That’s just my personal opinion.
Overall I would give the show a 4.95. It was epic. It had moments of drama, and the combination of visual and puppets was gorgeous. The company should be very proud of themselves and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store.
Life of Pi:
The second show I saw was Life of Pi, which I saw on 20th April at the Theatre Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham.
Based on the novel by Yann Martel, and the film adaptation with the same name, this tells the story of Pi Patel as he’s stranded on a boat after a shipwreck, with only a royal Bengal Tiger for company.
Adwitha Arumugam took on the role of Pi, and she did a brilliant job of making the role her own. Yes in the original book and film the role was played by a man, but that doesn’t mean to say that it could also be played by a girl. Her storytelling throughout the show and the emotions she expressed were on point. I also admire her balancing skills on the boat, as I can’t imagine it looking easy.
The puppetry skills were also perfection. I can’t imagine how much work has gone into making the animals come to life, and that it’s surprising how emotional you can be. As when an animal dies, the puppeteer leaving the animal just symbolises the connection going in the blink of an eye.
I don’t think I had any downsides, but a few stand out moments. The first part was the end of Act One, where Richard Parker (where I wasn't sure who puppeteered him on this show, but in the programme I know that the puppeteers in charge of this incredible character are by Sebastian Goffin and Akash Heer for the head, Katie Kennedy-Rose, Aizah Khan and Kate Rowsell for the heart and hind, and Tom Stacy for the hind as well as being the puppet capain) came onto the ship and was about to attack Pi, but she then found the strength to fight back and immediately it went to a blackout. This definitely left me open mouthed, which by the way was a good sign. The other moment for me was when during one of her hallucinations, Richard Parker became more human like, which during the days which Pi is stranded, broke down and gave us a bit of humour. The final part that stood out for me was the reappearances of family members who were sadly drowned in the shipwreck. They symbolised Pi’s thoughts on how to survive being stranded, which miraculously worked in her favour.
Overall I would give the show a 5. It was intense, it had moments of humour, heartbreak, but most of all it gave the audience hope. And the puppetry throughout it made even more of an impact.
Sooty: This Is Your Life:
The final show I went to see during this festival is Sooty: This Is Your Life on 21st April at once again the Theatre Royal Concert Hall.
This is very different to the shows you normally see on stage and screen. Here current presenter Richard Cadell takes you on a journey from the beginning, some of the dark secrets and how it’s become the lovable bear we know today.
The first part was the story and how it began. I don’t want to give anything away as I want those reading to still keep the magic alive, but let’s just say that when Harry suffered a heart attack he was always thinking about sooty and his pals. And that Matthew Corbett originally didn’t want to take on the role of the presenter from his dad in fear of people not liking him. And for Richard, his journey was a rollercoaster but a life changing event from him. From his first appearance in an episode in the 80s, to recreating a trick from the first ever appearance of Sooty from when Harry presented it, he practically saved the show. And there was one moment where even I was emotional about and was gobsmacked. I won’t give away anything but let’s say that if Harry were still here he’d be proud of Richard.
The second half took us on a journey as to how one of Sooty's famous routines with a balloon worked. I won’t give any spoilers again but let’s just say that it was a team effort. We also got a glimpse of how Brian Sanford voices sweep and how he puppeteers this naughty but entertaining dog. And not forgetting of course finding out more about the brilliant Brenda Longman who voiced Soo. Her journey into sooty was so beautiful and she really was the mother of the company. There were even guest appearances from Hacker T dog and his puppeteer Phil fletcher (who I had a selfie with before the show) and zippy and George from rainbow (where puppeteer and voice Ronnie LeDrew also made an appearance). And the behind the scenes of how they work a finale really does show how much effort goes into a 10 minute episode like this.
Overall I would give the show a full house. It had nostalgia, comedic moments and despite not meeting the cast and crew due to needing to get home, I had a blast.
And those were my reviews on the shows I saw during this brilliant festival. I think my only downside from it was meeting the few behind them, as for two of the shows I couldn’t meet them due to needing to get home (as two of them were on a Sunday and if I missed my train I was catching I would have to have waited longer for the next one) and a workshop for one show being cancelled due to illness. However in some ways I think it was also good as it does leave you guessing on how they make the puppets work. And this has only inspired my passion for puppetry even more.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is The Autistic Actress Signing off :)
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