Know Theatre’s evaluation of Famous Puppet Death Scenes at EdFringe 2022 

Ken Theater’s Review of Famous Puppet Death Scenes at EdFringe 2022

Review of EdFringe 2022’s Famous Doll Death Scenes

Roxy’s Assembly – Central There won’t be another show like this one! A truly remarkable presentation on death, Famous Puppet Death Scenes is brimming with innovation. It consists of a sequence of strange, often comical events in which all kinds of strange people die. Each mini-story has been painstakingly produced, using a wide variety of puppet forms alongside human actors, but all share the common subject of death, some more gruesome than others. The production has a beautiful, grotesquely distorted style that is both seductive and confusing. A stage was set up.

A strange, mind-boggling comic marvel that masterfully exploits the strange transition between animation and life. You will both gasp and laugh out loud. You won’t forget it until the day you die.

There won’t be a show like this again! A truly remarkable presentation on death, Famous Puppet Death Scenes is brimming with innovation. It consists of a sequence of strange, often comical events in which all kinds of strange people die. Each mini-story has been painstakingly produced, using a wide variety of puppet forms alongside human actors, but all share the common subject of death, some more gruesome than others.

The production has a beautiful, grotesquely distorted style that is both seductive and confusing. The stage is set up like a classic puppet theatre, with theatrical red and white striped curtains and a circular overhead screen resembling an “all-seeing eye” that displays captions. Each graphic scenario is set against a succession of infinitely creative and often breathtakingly beautiful sets.

The amazing trio of Louisa Ashton, Aya Nakamura and Teele Uustani deliver the story with balanced, professional precision. They not only skillfully characterize and manage the puppets, but also use excellent timing in their delivery, creating a truly thrilling suspense and explosive laughter. Audiences are kept on the edge of their seats by the agonizing anticipation of what might happen, which is only mitigated by another death. The stories can be penetratingly simple, mimicking a last breath, and still centering, but they’re sometimes insanely silly or ridiculous, making me laugh so hard that sometimes I actually cried.

Clearly defined and atmospheric lighting accentuates specific parts of the set or draws the viewer’s attention to certain parts of the performance. High-quality opera to fart sounds are all recorded in a compelling, unique and varied soundtrack. This virtually eliminates the need for language, so when it does occur, it usually has a humorous impact.

The program is an intriguing investigation into the manipulation of human emotions. The art of puppetry itself requires close creative interaction between the audience, the puppet, and the performer, forcing them to willfully suspend their disbelief and relinquish control. Here we sympathize with the charmingly-characterized puppets, but we also laugh as they are brutally destroyed in front of us, relishing their fear and arousing a peculiar kind of glee from us.

The captions also discreetly guide the audience. Sometimes they show only a few words, perhaps implying the audience cheering or screaming, while sometimes they reveal scene titles. It almost seems like they are both guidelines and commentary, influencing the public’s response in a different way. All of this begs the question, “Who are the puppets here?”, which is emphasized at the end of the show.

Famous Puppet Death Scenes is the only performance in Edinburgh Fringe that really makes you feel alive. It’s an incredibly beautiful and enjoyable production. Even in death there is vitality!

Peter Balkwill, Pityu Kenderes and Judd Palmer are the directors.

By Jen Gareau, costumes

Amelia Newbert oversees the technical direction and lighting.

By Mike Rinaldi, the music

R. Miljan/Tech Art Custom Creations

The Famous Puppet Death Scenes show runs through August 28 in EdFringe 2022. You can pre-order and get more information here.