Puppet Podcast

NEW ALBUM "Look both ways" pre-launch interview!  More about Tom: A creative at work and an entertainer at heart, Western Massachusetts-based children’s musician and puppeteer Tom Knight brings fun, whimsy, and personality to the center stage. A pinch of puppetry, a dash of music, and a sprinkling of educational classes for young children have been baking for more than 30 years to create an engaging persona that has charmed audiences around the world. Since 1988, Tom has delighted children and their grown-ups with his interactive, musical puppet shows featuring hand-made puppets, catchy songs, and lots of audience participation. After three decades spent honing his art via live shows, Tom Knight announces the November 18 release of his 6th album for kids, Look Both Ways.  More about the NEW ALBUM: Look Both Ways takes its theme from the title song, which extolls a basic safety rule while embracing the ever-changing beauty of each season. The album enlarges upon this idea by viewing life from more than one perspective, whether learning another language, being part of a community, or experiencing art in a museum. Look Both Ways interweaves brand-new material (“Wiggly Tooth,” “Five Snow People”) with songs Tom Knight has written since the release of his last album in 2003 (“Look Both Ways,” “Museum Mambo,” “Hot Air Balloon”) and new renditions of favorite tunes from Tom’s early recordings (“The Garbage Monster,” “Alligator Jump,” “Stone Soup”).

ORDER the "Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop The Team That Changed Children's Television" book: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813196268/shari-lewis-and-lamb-chop/ Mallory Lewis is a prolific author of children's literature, an Emmy Award-winning performer, and a dedicated philanthropist who has raised millions for breast cancer research. Since the death of her mother Shari Lewis in 1998, she has appeared with Lamb Chop and entertained audiences in thousands of venues around the world.

WATCH THE SHOW HERE: https://www.sensical.tv/shows/danny-joes-tree-house Danny Joe is a kind and thoughtful preschool teacher. From his Tree House, he invites families to come out and play about big thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Colourful puppets explore the playground below with a diverse cast of grown-up caregivers.

Bio: Chelsey Lee is a puppeteer and maker originally from the North West of England. She trained in Physical Theatre at East 15 Acting School where her spark for puppetry was truly ignited. After leaving East 15, Chelsey spent the next few years puppeteering for shows such as CBeebies ‘Sarah and Duck’ as Sarah, Moomintroll in ‘Mischief and Mystery in Moominvalley’ and working in China as an Associate Artist for the David Glass Ensemble. From this, she went on to work as a Puppet Practitioner for the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. She has also performed at festivals including Glastonbury and Lost Village and thrives when being in an environment where improvisation is key.  As a small sprog, Chelsey would stick bits of cardboard together and build creatures and scenes for them to plunge into. It’s safe to say Chelsey’s thirst for the puppet industry grew further than being on stage and she felt that it was time to exercise her maker genes. Chelsey first worked for Nick as an intern for Sheffield Crucible’s production of ‘Life of Pi’ and subsequently on the West End transfer and Al Adiyat for the Dubai Expo.  Alongside puppet making, Chelsey is co-founder of Moth Physical Theatre who are in collaboration with the Museum of London and the Museum of London Docklands. She has produced a number of commissioned shows which tour the East End and was brought in to create an interactive experience for celebrities and high stake holders for the premier opening of ‘Beasts of London’, where Chelsey puppeteered the head of the fox voiced by Kate Moss.  Whilst sculpting plastazote is her main game, Chelsey also runs Nick’s social media. Thanks to her knowledge and skills inherited from her previous side hustle of working for Liverpool Football Club’s social media team!  The making world continues to take Chelsey on to different paths and has worked for film companies such as Arch Model Studios and recently a Warner Brother’s feature film ‘The Flash’, based within the Costume FX department.

👉Lee Thompson is an award winning British Puppeteer who has worked professionally for over 20 years. Lee began performing for local children in his neighbourhood before progressing to his first professional job in his late teens. Since then Lee has worked on adverts, personalized DVDs, music videos, corporate videos and has participated in projects in India, Thailand, Iran, America and New Zealand.

👉Raven Kaliana directs Puppet (R)Evolution Theatre Company. She’s presented Hooray for Hollywood, her award-winning autobiographical film on surviving human trafficking, at UN Geneva, Commission on the Status of Women, London City Hall, and Oxford.  Love vs Trauma has toured to China, Puerto Rico, Greece – and can be paired with her workshops on resilience. This year she's won awards for directing/designing/writing Priya and the Twirling Wind, a children's film with environmental themes, and for directing/designing/co-writing ASTRA, a 70-minute play adapting Naomi Foyle's eco sci-fi book series to the stage.  Her work has been chronicled by BBC News, Changemakers Magazine, New York Times, The Guardian, Puppetry International, The Puppetry Journal.  She also freelances as a puppet maker.    https://ravenkaliana.com Her brand new show we'll begin touring soon:  https://vimeo.com/733562517

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👉Rob D’Arc was born into a show business family. His father, John D'Arc was a singer with "The Four Lads" for 30 years, travelling around the world set both Rob's career path and strange world view. In 1980, he began his career as artist, writer, sculptor, and puppeteer becoming apprentice to French troupe, “Les Marmouset.” He went on to become a walking puppet stage for Knott’s Berry Farm, a Court Magician at Medieval Times, and a puppet “boothie” at the Renaissance Pleasure Fair.  In 1987, he founded the not for profit Kidstuff Puppet Theater in Riverside, California, creating over 30 original shows over ten years.  Rob has also fabricated props, masks, prosthetic makeup, and puppets for theater productions such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Hobbit,” “Into the Woods,” “1776” and “Nutcracker.” His giant puppets were featured in the Fremont Solstice Parade since from 2002-2008.  Rob currently sells his art and puppets at Seattle’s Pike Place Market and in his live work studio. “the Whimseytorium.” Several articles by Rob have been published in the Puppetry Journal.