Doctor Puppet!

This combines two of my great loves - Puppetry/toy theatre, and Doctor Who! This animated Doctor was created by the talented Alisa Stern. You can see more of Alisa's work on her YouTube channel...

Ye Ballade of Ivan Petrofsky Skevar

A Karaghoz inspired shadow show adapted from the popular song by Percy French circa 1850, presented by Puppet Heap!

Teacup Footlights

Fun toy theatre influenced images from an Alice in Wonderland production at the Royal Opera House...

A Visit to Pollock's Toy Shop

The theatre on the counter is described by staff as "...German with scenery by Scholz"

"We don't like minimal at Pollock's"

So writes the toy shop on their Facebook page today.  The above photograph was taken this week showing their updated lobby and some of the many fun toys, books, and theatres they sell.

I laughed at that, because it's so true!  But it's also why their shop is so magical.  Although I have never had the privilege to visit yet, I know it would delight me no end.  I like to think of it as the best toy shop in the world...

GSW 10th International - Update #1

The Great Small Works 10th International Toy Theater Festival is only a little over a month away!

The venue - St. Anne's Warehouse - has a page with all the information concerning tickets, location, etc.

Also, GSW has put up a helpful (and comprehensive) Schedule.

Be sure to check them out!

Last, but not least, there's only 11 days left for you to part of supporting the festival!  Please visit the festival's fundraiser campaign page and see how you can help, and for a list of the wonderful "thank you" gifts they offer...

International Puppetry Museum

A wonderful photo gallery has been put up on line in celebration of  Alan Cook and the International Puppetry Museum in Pasadena, California.

Despite a wonderful renaissance in puppetry in recent years, there continues to be a struggle to support important institutions like this museum, that not only serve as archival and historical repositories, but as an educational tool for the public.

I encourage all who read this to consider supporting IPM.  There are many ways they offer to do this.

Toy Theatre Festival Benefit Gala

Great Small Works invites you to join your friends and supporters of Great Small Works at the GALA TOY THEATER FESTIVAL BENEFIT on Thursday, May 23rd, at the powerHouse Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn, to support Great Small Works' TENTH INTERNATIONAL TOY THEATER FESTIVAL, June 14-23 at St. Ann's Warehouse.

The guest performers at this not-to-be-missed event include master puppeteer BASIL TWIST, toy piano virtuoso MARGARET LENG TAN and the inimitable musician and composer RIMA FAND. The powerHouse Arena storefront will also be filled with an ongoing spectacle of intimate paper theater plays created and performed by LAKE SIMONS, ERIN ORR, CHRIS GREEN, TONI SCHLESINGER, ED VALENTINE, and other luminaries of the miniature theater world! Join us for an evening of sparkling wit, compelling ideas, and visions of the possibilities of puppetry and community for the 21st century! How could you not come?

To find out more details, visit the event site.

10th International Festival of Toy Theatre

Please take a moment to watch this video, then visit Great Small Works' fundraising site. They would appreciate contributions to help produce the 10th International Festival of Toy Theatre. Their past festivals have been amazing events, opening up the imagination and creativity of young and old alike!

Dramatis Personae Catalogue No. 112

Be sure and check out the current Dramatis Personae catalogue, which includes many toy theatre related items!

In the Heart of the Beast

Christmas Retold

Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater artists bring alive the Nativity as an Immigrant Story...

In my own state of Minnesota here in America, an extraordinary production is underway right now of the age-old Nativity story.  But this version is told in an innovative style - using large-scale puppets and as an immigrant story.

Read, see, and hear more about this, here...


The video above, from a presentation of this same production in 2009, shows a bit of what you would see, as well as clips from behind the scenes...

Before Neverland

Before there was Neverland, there were the Gardens...

Crowd sourcing has begun for Peter Pan at Kensington Gardens.  The animated film, influenced by toy theatre, shares earlier stories of Peter Pan:

Peter's adventures in Kensington Gardens pre-date those in Neverland. First published in 1906 it's an adaptation of The little White Bird of 1902 which marked Peter Pan's first appearance in print. Peter is a baby who thinks he's a bird and so can fly. He finds himself in the Gardens and makes friends with the birds and fairies who live there. Peter learns to play Pan's pipes and looks after children who become lost in the park. The story predicts many of the elements to be found with Wendy and the Lost Boys...

Upcoming Special Performance

From the Benjamin Pollocks Toy Shop:  The poster for Peter Baldwin's toy theatre performance next Sunday - tickets still available - you can pay at the door but a reservation is advisable.

New Peter Pan Film

A new film is being made which combines the arts of toy theatre, animation, and film.  One of the producers, Steve Arnott, has this to say of a newly released demo trailer:

This is a work in progress, the voice and music are just guide tracks and more scenes will be added. We hope to use a famous Scottish voice for the narrator (so if anyone has David Tennant's email, please forward!) Also, we are open to any offers of funding; the film so far has over 200 supporters and 50 animators working on it. Anyone who contributes will share in the profits. Also, 20% will be going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, who have given the project their blessing. We are are looking at a release date of either Christmas 2013 or Easter 2014, depending on how things proceed.

If you would like to know more, or help fund the project, please leave a comment, and I will be happy to put you in touch...

Sicilian Puppet Theatre

Pop-up: Circus

The shots below (pardon the flash reflections on some shots - the lighting conditions were less than ideal - are from a reproduction pop-up book published by Penguin Books in 1979. The book - Lothar Meggendorfer's "International Circus", first published in 1887 - also has the name of Rodney Peppe associated with it.

Dramatis Personae Catalogue No. 110

The new Dramatis Personae catalogue is out.

As usual, I highly recommend you give it a perusal - many toy theatre-related ephemera for sale, prices ranging from the humble to the expensive...

Victoria 4 Albert

A true love story, told in Victoria's own words...

A series of  films incorporating stop motion, toy theatre, etc. have recently released, entitled Victoria 4 Albert.  The films were commissioned to accompany an exhibition currently ongoing at Kensington Palace.  The narration on the films are Queen Victoria's own words, taken from her diaries.  Charming!

Boxcar Fair

A sweet, short story told with puppets and music, featuring automata and puppet maker, Tom Haney.

Top Hat Toy Theater Presents...

David Worobec, a Boston Conservatory student and creator/owner of Top Hat Toy Theater, is the man behind a recent series of adaptions of musicals for the small stage.  In the videos shared here, David performs Rogers & Hammerstein's South Pacific.  David does all the voices and sings all the parts in his production, quite a feat!  As one person recently put it, "David has a terrific operatic voice, and his one man show is definitely unique."

He has had a long love affair with toy theatre; David was a featured performer in Great Small Works' toy theatre festival back in 2003 when he was only 14 years old!