A sneak peak inside the world of puppet burlesque
Posted March 31, 2016 8:51 am.
Last Updated March 31, 2016 9:01 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Have you ever wondered what puppet burlesque looks like?
I have. And I’m also mime-curious, but that’s another story
You can see all the fuzzy details revealed tomorrow night on Granville Island at Fools After Dark, which is being billed as a saucy puppet cabaret to help support the inaugural Vancouver International Puppet Festival this fall.
Yes, it is adults only.
“The beautiful thing about puppetry is that there is some sort of permission slip they have to get away with things that humans can’t,” says Tara Travis, co-founder of the festival and the person behind one of the stars, Fluffy 10th Street, who will be performing a burlesque show.
“There’s a little mix of everything, it’s a variety show, but the puppet burlesque has two longtime rivals — Dandelion Wine and Fluffy 10th Street — finally facing off. You will see two puppets removing their layers in their various ways and we will see who the champion really is,” she explains, before letting Fluffy take the mic.
“Listen, Dandelion Wine is a fantastic artist, more classic burlesque,” the puppet pipes up. “Myself, I am more of a misunderstood performance artist. I think it’s something Yoko and I share. I’m ready to show you people what a puppet really looks like naked, when I take it all off!”
What does that actually look like?
“Oh, you have no idea,” she purrs.
It’s not quite X-rated but it promises to get somewhat steamy with Fluffy describing a healthy rivalry between the saucy puppets rivals.
“Well, we threw kale at each other once, if you consider that healthy.”
Travis suggests what you see during the show may depend on what you want see.
“As far as what you perceive with your own eyes, perhaps it’s not that dirty. A lot of it is what happens in your imagination. A lot of it is suggested.”
But there is one act that features actual nudity of the non-puppet variety.
“It’s puppetry of the human body that is provided by innovators Mind of a Snail, who are some of the most incredible puppetry artists of our time. It is mind-blowing!” she says.
So let’s count the places you could put puppets on the human body, shall we? I count five obvious ones.
“These are two female artists,” laughs Travis. “It’s a mixture of puppetry, projections and animating a human body. I don’t want to say too much and give it away.”
Fools After Dark is at the Granville Island Revue Stage tomorrow night. The show starts at 8 p.m. with tickets going for $20 in advance and $22 at the door.
