#19 Famous Puppet Death Scenes

Theatre ( Puppetry, Contemporary ) King's Hall, w/ Summerhall; CanadaHub

Puppetry, done right. Exactly what it says on the tin. Puppet death scenes, supposedly collected and presented by a veteran puppet archivist, Nathanial Tweak. Light reflections on life and death. NOT puppet versions of cinema classics, but original scenes from supposed puppetry classics. Cartoonish violence, and solemn meditations in between. Tweak's academic, magisterial take on puppet deaths is hilarious in its gravity.

Brilliant conceptual fun. Pretty much exhausts the topic. Gruesome deaths, and peaceful ones too. Some multi-part jokes, as in a sketch show. A grand finale.

Punch&Judy setup, great set built well high, with three curtained windows and doors on either sides. Action in the windows, and on standalone rigs wheeled in and out of centre stage.

Talented cast of four actors, some tens of puppets from the Old Trout Puppet Workshop & Friends. Old show, touring since 2006. Refined, polished fun. Can't fault the concept, or the delivery much, but it does get a little formulaic and thin towards the end.

Universal fun.