Award winning puppetry innovators, Blind Summit, present the world premiere of Citizen Puppet, a verbatim ‘true crime’ puppet docu-drama that tells the real story of Jack and The Beanstalk, at the Pleasance Courtyard (venue 33) from 5 - 30 August (not 17) as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015,
What inspired this production: did you begin with an idea or a script or an object?
WE DECIDED TO DO A TRADITIONAL EPIC BUNRAKU PLAY. THAT TOTALLY DIDN’T WORK BUT WE LIKED THE PUPPETS WITH MOVING MOUTHS, THE SCENERY AND THE "INVISIBLE" PUPETEERS. IT MORPHED OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD OF R+D INTO THIS! A SORT OF VERBATIM-MURDER-MYSTERY-DISASTER-PUPPET-DOCUDRAMA VERSION OF JACK AND THE BEANSTALK.
What can the audience expect to see and feel - or even think - of your production?
A SORT OF VERBATIM TRUE CRIME MURDER MYSTERY PUPPET DOCUDRAMA…
PUPPET CHARACTERS FROM THE VILLAGE OF MASSIVEVILLE RELIVE THE EVENTS FOLLOWING THE CRASHING DOWN OF THE GIANT BEANSTALK: THE DEATH OF THE GIANT, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BOY BILLIONAIRE “JACK" AND THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS THAT IT HAD FOR ALL OF THEM. THE SHOW LAYS OUT THE EVENTS OF THE DAY OF THE CRASH.
I HOPE THEY WILL BE AMUSED AND MOVED BY THE CHARACTER’S STORIES.
THEY SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE POWER AND THE CURSE OF LANGUAGE AND THE STORIES/ FAIRYTALES WE DELUDE OURSELVES WITH. THAT WE ARE “GOOD”. THAT WE DESERVE WHAT WE HAVE. THAT MONEY EXISTS.
The Dramaturgy Questions
How would you explain the relevance - or otherwise - of dramaturgy within your work?
ALL OF OUR WORK BEGINS WITH THE PUPPETS AND ASKS WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THEM. IT IS A KIND OF PRACTICAL INQUIRY INTO THE DRAMATURGY OF PUPPETS. OUR DRAMATURGICAL PROCESS INVOLVES ASKING THE QUESTION - WHAT CAN TELLING A STORY WITH PUPPETS REVEAL THAT DOING IT WITHOUT PUPPETS WOULD NOT?
SOMETIMES - AS IN THIS CASE - WE START FROM THE OTHER END - WHAT WILL MAKE THESE PUPPETS WORK? IT COMES TO THE SAME THING IN THE END - SOONER OR LATER IN REHEARSALS WE ARE ASKING WHY ARE WE USING PUPPETS?
PUPPETS ARE BY NATURE DEMONSTRATIVE AND THEREFORE CONTRADICTORY. THEY ARE LIKE A PRISM OR A LENS - THEY FLIP THE WORLD ON ITS HEAD. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORKING OUT HOW TO TELL A STORY FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW - WHCIH IS A BIT LIKE PERFORMING UPSIDE DOWN! ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE NOTICED IN THIS PROJECT IS THAT THEY CAN RESTORE TRUTH TO CLICHES. THEY MAKE CHARICATURES INTO CHARACTERS. AT LEAST I HOPE SO - WE HAVEN’T SHOWN IT TO AN AUDIENCE YET!
PUPPETRY IS SOMETIMES A KIND OF INVESTIGATION INTO FORM - IN THIS CASE VERBATIM THEATRE.
What particular traditions and influences would you acknowledge on your work - have any particular artists, or genres inspired you and do you see yourself within their tradition?
WE HAVE BEEN VERY INSPIRED BY JAPANESE BUNRAKU AND ESPECIALLY THE WAY IT HAS BEEN UPDATED AND USED BY PHILIPPE GENTY. I SAW HIS PRODUCTION “DERIVES” IN EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 25 YEARS AGO AND I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN IT. MOST OF OUR OTHER INSPIRATIONS ARE PEOPLE WHO REBEL - WOOSTER GROUP, SEX PISTOLS… IT’S HARDER TO SEE THEIR DIRECT INFLUENCE.
MAKING THIS SHOW WE HAVE WATCHED BLACK WATCH A LOT FOR INSPIRATION ABOUT HOW VERBATIM THEATRE WORKS. AND I AM ALSO INSPIRED BY MY MEMORY OF SEEING THE GRASSMARKET PROJECTS MANY YEARS AGO.
Do you have a particular process of making that you could describe - where it begins, how you develop it, and whether there is any collaboration in the process?
WE BEGIN WITH A LONG PERIOD OF R+D WHICH WE DO SOMETIMES ON THE ROAD WITH ANOTHER SHOW. DURING THIS PERIOD WE MAKE PUPPETS AND EXPERIMENT WITH COSTUMES AND SETS. BUILD THINGS OUT OF CARDBOARD AND TRY TO DISCOVER A "PUPPETRY CONCEIT”.
THAT IS A REASON TO TELL THE STORY WE WANT TO TELL WITH PUPPETS. THIS MAY BE A FEW DAYS A MONTH OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE ALSO TRY SOME BITS OUT WITH AUDIENCES AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY THINK. WE GET SOME PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A ROOM AND WE IMPROVISE. WE TRY TO REPEAT THE IMPROVISATIONS. WE AGONISE AND ARGUE OVER WHAT THE PLOT COULD BE. WE TRY AND RUN VERSIONS AND SEE HOW IT FEELS TO BE IN THE AUDIENCE. WE MAKE SOME MORE PUPPETS. THEN WE CHANGE OUR MINDS AND DO THAT ALL OVER AGAIN. WE MAKE LOTS AND LOTS OF THINGS AND THEN WE REMAKE THEM AND MOVE FORWARD IN SMALL INCREMENTS.
IT’S VERY SLOW AND QUITE PEDANTIC. A LOT OF TRIAL AND ERROR. A LOT OF BLIND ALLEYS. ALL THE TIME WE ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN THE PUPPETS SEEM TO BE MOST ALIVE AND FOR THINGS THAT MAKE PUPPETRY TRULY NECESSARY. SCENES THAT WOULD NOT BE AS GOOD WITH JUST “PEOPLE". AND THINGS THAT MAKE US LAUGH. WE HOPE TO HAVE A SCRIPT OF SOME SORT BY THE TIME WE FINISH, BUT WE WILL GO ON CHANGING AND IMPROVING IT LONG AFTER WE OPEN THE SHOW, ALWAYS LEARNING FROM AUDIENCES. OUR WORK IS BASED ON IMPROVISATION AND WE TRY TO LEAVE AN ELEMENT OF THAT IN THE SHOW SO THAT THE PERFORMERS CAN RESPOND TO AUDIENCE REACTIONS IN THE SHOW.
What do you feel the role of the audience is, in terms of making the meaning of your work?
THE AUDIENCE IS EVERYTHING. OUR MISSION AS A COMPANY IS TO MAKE POPULAR PUPPETRY THAT SUBVERTS PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS OF PUPPETRY. AUDIENCES ARE CRUCIAL TO HELP US DO THAT. AND EDINBURGH AUDIENCES ARE THE MOST SUBVERSIVE AUDIENCES OF ALL.
I SEE MY ROLE AS DIRECTOR AS A STAND IN FOR THE AUDIENCE. MY JOB IS NOT TO BE FOOLED BY THE SHOW WE ARE MAKING AND TO TRY AND SEE IT LIKE AUDIENCES WILL SEE IT. BUT WE ARE NEVER SURE BECAUSE PART OF WHAT I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IS SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
ALWAYS WHEN WE ARE WORKING I ASK THE PERFORMERS - DO YOU WANT THAT IN THE SHOW? DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE? IT’S PRETTY TOUGH QUESTION BUT I HAVE GOT ON STAGE MANY TIMES, OFTEN HOLDING A PUPPET, AND REALISED AT THAT MOMENT - I WISH I HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO DO!
What do you feel the role of the audience is, in terms of making the meaning of your work?
THE AUDIENCE IS EVERYTHING. OUR MISSION AS A COMPANY IS TO MAKE POPULAR PUPPETRY THAT SUBVERTS PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS OF PUPPETRY. AUDIENCES ARE CRUCIAL TO HELP US DO THAT. AND EDINBURGH AUDIENCES ARE THE MOST SUBVERSIVE AUDIENCES OF ALL.
I SEE MY ROLE AS DIRECTOR AS A STAND IN FOR THE AUDIENCE. MY JOB IS NOT TO BE FOOLED BY THE SHOW WE ARE MAKING AND TO TRY AND SEE IT LIKE AUDIENCES WILL SEE IT. BUT WE ARE NEVER SURE BECAUSE PART OF WHAT I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IS SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
ALWAYS WHEN WE ARE WORKING I ASK THE PERFORMERS - DO YOU WANT THAT IN THE SHOW? DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE? IT’S PRETTY TOUGH QUESTION BUT I HAVE GOT ON STAGE MANY TIMES, OFTEN HOLDING A PUPPET, AND REALISED AT THAT MOMENT - I WISH I HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO DO!
Are there any questions that you feel I have missed out that would help me to understand how dramaturgy works for you?
I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT DRAMATURGY BUT IT’S HARDER TO WRITE ABOUT! THESE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS.
ONE THOUGHT FROM TODAY IN REHEARSALS THINKING ABOUT VERBATIM. WE REALISED THAT IN VERBATIM THEATRE ONE OF THE PLEASURES IS THAT BOTH THE TELLER AND THE INTERVIEWER KNOW THE ENDING OF THE STORY WHEN THEY ARE TELLING IT. THIS MEANS THAT IT IS IMPLICITLY ABOUT THE JOURNEY AND NOT THE DESTINATION. AND THAT IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT!
Show Name: Blind Summit present Citizen Puppet
Synposis: Once upon a time in a far off imaginary place... a giant fell out of the sky. 'There were roofs down, windows blown in,' says Puppet Granny, Tina Henderson. 'It wasnae funny.' Blind Summit, the makers of Fringe First Award-winning show The Table, return to Edinburgh with a puppet-docudrama which tells the true story of Jack and the Beanstalk. They look behind the scenes and uncover a dark tale of gambling, greed, theft and murder. Written and directed by Marc Down.
Venue: Pleasance Beyond (Pleasance Courtyard) - Venue 33 – 60 Pleasance EH8 9TJ
Dates: 5 - 30 August 2015 (no show 17 August)
Time: 17:00 – 18:00 (60 mins)
Ticket Prices:
Previews – 5, 6 & 7 August - £6
17, 18, 24, 25, 31 August - £9 / £8 Concession
10, 11, A12, 13, 19, 20, 26, A27 August - £10 / £9 Concession
8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 August - £11 / £10 Concession
Box Office: Pleasance – T: 0131 556 6550
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