Melbourne Festival of Puppetry 2023

Welcome to the 2023 Melbourne Festival of Puppetry. We are delighted to welcome artists from across Australia to present their work. This year we are thrilled to offer audience’s 11 Children’s Performances, 3 adults performances, Roving Performances throughout the festival, Children’s Puppet Workshops and Professional Development Opportunities for Artists and Adults. New this year’s festival … Continued

3 puppets together - a Douc langur monkey on the left looks to a brightly costumed trapeze artist in the middle. A Pirate Sea Dog looks to the trapeze artist from the right.

Jun 27 – Jul 2

Welcome to the 2023 Melbourne Festival of Puppetry.

We are delighted to welcome artists from across Australia to present their work. This year we are thrilled to offer audience’s 11 Children’s Performances, 3 adults performances, Roving Performances throughout the festival, Children’s Puppet Workshops and Professional Development Opportunities for Artists and Adults.

New this year’s festival is The Puppet Picnic, a FREE Community Day on the lawns of the Carlton Highrise Estate of performances, roving puppets, engaging workshops and an opportunity for all to connect, share and celebrate.

Full Schedule

Scroll left and right to view full schedule:

Time	Location	Tuesday 27 June	Wednesday 28 June	Thursday 29 June	Friday 30 June	Saturday 1 July	Sunday 2 July
10:00am	La Mama HQ	PUPPEROOS: Haenyeo: Women of the Sea (Australia/Korea) 3-10 years	PUPPEROOS: Haenyeo: Women of the Sea (Australia/Korea) 3-10 years	PUPPEROOS: Haenyeo: Women of the Sea (Australia/Korea) 3-10 years	SHAKE SHAKE THEATRE: The Story of Mr B. (Menangle, NSW) 3-10 years	SHAKE SHAKE THEATRE: The Story of Mr B. (Menangle, NSW) 3-10 years	SHAKE SHAKE THEATRE: The Story of Mr B. (Menangle, NSW) 3-10 years
10:00am	Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre					Adults Workshop: PHILIP MILLAR: Digital tools for analog	Adults Workshop: THINGS OF FOAM AND WOOD: Mould Making
11:00am	Outside La Mama HQ – roving & free shows	BONKEL: Rolling! (Melb, VIC) All Ages	BONKEL: Rolling! (Melb, VIC) All Ages	BONKEL: Rolling! (Melb, VIC) All Ages	Roving: GEORGIE ROSE (Mt Franklin, VIC) All Ages	Roving: THE GARNDERS (Things of Foam and Wood) (Kyenton, VIC) All Ages	Roving: CURIOUS LEGENDS (Newcastle, NSW) All Ages
11:00am	La Mama Courthouse						SYDNEY PUPPET THEATRE: In Search of the Giddy Gird Bird (New Berrima, NSW) 5-10 years/family
11:00am	Carlton Highrise Estate					BONKEL: Rolling! (Melb, VIC) All Ages
11.45am – 12.30pm	In the streets & outside La Mama Courthouse	Roving: LEMONY S (Melb, VIC) All Ages	Roving: LEMONY S (Melb, VIC) All Ages	Roving: LEMONY S (Melb, VIC) All Ages	Roving: GEORGIE ROSE (Mt Franklin, VIC) & JULES CHAPPEL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages	Roving: THE GARNDERS (Things of Foam and Wood) & JULES CHAPPEL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages	Roving: CURIOUS LEGENDS (Newcastle, NSW) & JULES CHAPPEL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages
12:00pm	La Mama HQ				EMILIE BLOOM: Fritz (Woodend, VIC) 4-12 years	EMILIE BLOOM: Fritz (Woodend, VIC) 4-12 years	EMILIE BLOOM: Fritz (Woodend, VIC) 4-12 years
12:00pm	Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre	Children’s Workshop: UB: Shadow Puppets 5 – 10 years	Children’s Workshop: PARIS BALLA: Sock Puppets	Children’s Workshop: GEORGIE ROSE: Rod Puppets	Children’s Workshop: PARIS BALLA: Junk Puppets
12:30pm	La Mama Courthouse	MARK PENZAK: Labyrinth in the Library (Castlemaine, VIC) 3-10 years	MARK PENZAK: Labyrinth in the Library (Castlemaine, VIC) 3-10 years	MARK PENZAK: Labyrinth in the Library (Castlemaine, VIC) 3-10 years	SYDNEY PUPPET THEATRE: In Search of the Giddy Gird Bird (New Berrima, NSW) 5-10 years/family	SYDNEY PUPPET THEATRE: In Search of the Giddy Gird Bird (New Berrima, NSW) 5-10 years/family	LITTLE WING PUPPETS: A Little Bit of Blue (Sydney, NSW) 3-10 years/family
12:45pm	Carlton Highrise Estate					PEARLY WHITES: Sanctum All Ages
2:00pm	La Mama HQ				EM CHANDLER: Moonspell (Ballarat, VIC) 8-12 years	EM CHANDLER: Moonspell (Ballarat, VIC) 8-12 years	EM CHANDLER: Moonspell (Ballarat, VIC) 8-12 years
2:30pm	Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre					Adults Workshop: JACOB WILLIAMS: Manipulation	Adults Workshop: SYDNEY PUPPET THEATRE: Marionette Workshop
3:00pm	La Mama Courthouse	DREAM PUPPETS: Dreamer and the Rainbow Tiger (Melb, VIC) 3 -10 years	DREAM PUPPETS: Dreamer and the Rainbow Tiger (Melb, VIC) 3 -10 years	DREAM PUPPETS: Dreamer and the Rainbow Tiger (Melb, VIC) 3 -10 years	LITTLE WING PUPPETS: A Little Bit of Blue (Sydney, NSW) 3-10 years/family	LITTLE WING PUPPETS: A Little Bit of Blue (Sydney, NSW) 3-10 years/family
5:00pm	La Mama Courthouse						BLACK HOLE THEATRE: Kuthumi (Melbourne/Dimboola, VIC) All ages – Family
6.00pm	La Mama Courthouse			BLACK HOLE THEATRE: Kuthumi (Melbourne/Dimboola, VIC) All ages – Family	BLACK HOLE THEATRE: Kuthumi (Melbourne/Dimboola, VIC) All ages – Family	BLACK HOLE THEATRE: Kuthumi (Melbourne/Dimboola, VIC) All ages – Family
6.30pm	CO.AS.IT.		Artist Talk with Sonny Tilders
7:00pm	La Mama HQ				ONE ORANGE SOCK: Things That Wriggle & Squirm (Melb, VIC) Adults/16 years and up	ONE ORANGE SOCK: Things That Wriggle & Squirm (Melb, VIC) Adults/16 years and up	ONE ORANGE SOCK: Things That Wriggle & Squirm (Melb, VIC) Adults/16 years and up
7:30pm	Outside Motley Bauhaus			Roving: CURIOUS LEGENDS (Newcastle, NSW) All Ages	Roving: CURIOUS LEGENDS (Newcastle, NSW) All Ages	Roving: CURIOUS LEGENDS (Newcastle, NSW) All Ages	Roving: CURIOUS LEGENDS (Newcastle, NSW) All Ages
8:00pm	Motley Bauhaus downstairs			MURRAY AND THE MURRAYONETTES: They Came From Uranus (Melb, VIC) Adults 18+	MURRAY AND THE MURRAYONETTES: They Came From Uranus (Melb, VIC) Adults 18+	MURRAY AND THE MURRAYONETTES: They Came From Uranus (Melb, VIC) Adults 18+	MURRAY AND THE MURRAYONETTES: They Came From Uranus (Melb, VIC) Adults 18+
8:30pm	Outside Motley Bauhaus			Roving: PERRI CAMPBELL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages	Roving: PERRI CAMPBELL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages	Roving: PERRI CAMPBELL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages	Roving: PERRI CAMPBELL (Castlemaine, VIC) All Ages
9:00pm	Motley Bauhaus upstairs			SHOWKO: One Night Sushi Stand (Australia/Japan) Adults/15 years and above	SHOWKO: One Night Sushi Stand (Australia/Japan) Adults/15 years and above	SHOWKO: One Night Sushi Stand (Australia/Japan) Adults/15 years and above	SHOWKO: One Night Sushi Stand (Australia/Japan) Adults/15 years and above

Download Printable Schedule Here

If you’re looking for something to do before or after a show, or maybe even inbetween, pick up one of our Puppet Treasure Hunt sheets from La Mama HQ. Explore the streets of Carlton!

Can you find where all the puppets are hiding and answer all the questions? Those who do can collect a free prize when they head back to La Mama HQ.

Puppet Treasure Map

Shows for children and family audiences

A grandma puppet in a black diver suit swims in the sea, holding a net and surrounded by seaweed.

PUPPEROOS: Haenyeo: Women of the Sea

Jun 27 – Jun 29

BONKEL: ROLLING!

Jun 27 – Jul 1

Performer in front of bookshelves miming opening a door.

MARK PENZAK: Labyrinth in the Library

Jun 27 – Jun 29

A garden snail slides through the undergrowth and enjoys the rain.

Dream Puppets: Dreamer and the Rainbow Tiger

Jun 27 – Jun 29

Against the night sky, a stick puppet reaches for the moon.

BLACK HOLE Theatre: KUTHUMI

Jun 29 – Jul 2

A puppet named Mr Bumblegrum looking out the window, with a book and a flower in front of him.

SHAKE SHAKE THEATRE: The Story of Mr B.

Jun 30 – Jul 2

A shadow puppet of a stylised, smiling full moon.

Em Chandler: Moonspell

Jun 30 – Jul 2

Painting of a magicians rabbit with the face of a clown coming out the bottom of a top hat. There is a magic wand in the background of the image.

Emilie Bloom: FRITZ

Jun 30 – Jul 2

Sydney Puppet Theatre: In Search of the Giddy Gird Bird

Jun 30 – Jul 2

A blue puppet of an old lady holds binoculars in front of a bower, with blue things decorating it, and a wanted Sign of a masked bird.

LITTLE WING PUPPETS: A Little Bit of Blue

Jun 30 – Jul 2

Speleologist and cave explorer, Dr Hal E. Tosis, at the mouth of the cave. Cave licking it

PEARLY WHITES: Sanctum

Jul 1

Shows for adult audiences (16 years+)

MURRAY AND THE MURRAYONETTES: They Came From Uranus

Jun 29 – Jul 2

Showko who is wearing a red Kimono is holding her Sushi Master puppet infront of a red velvet draped curtain.

Showko: One Night Sushi Stand

Jun 29 – Jul 2

A group of seven puppeteers dressed in black pose behind a black table with a prop-skeleton corpse lying on it.

ONE ORANGE SOCK: Things That Wriggle & Squirm

Jun 30 – Jul 2

Join us at the Motely Bauhaus for our program of adult works including some wild and weird roving puppets before each show. Roving starts from 7.30pm. Come early, grab a warming ale and enjoy some puppet nonsense with Curious Legends, Julian Chappel and Perri Campbell.

Workshops for children

Two shadow puppets are operated by a hand

UB Workshop: Shadow Puppets

Jun 27

Paris Balla Workshop: Sock Puppets

Jun 28

GEORGIE ROSE Workshop: Rod Puppets

Jun 29

Paris Balla Workshop: Junk Puppets

Jun 30

Professional Development for adults (15 years+)

Artist Talk with Sonny Tilders

Jun 28

A small carved wooden puppet, looking alarmed, sits on a laptop showing 3D digital images of the scanned puppet

Philip Millar Workshop: Digital tools for analog makers

Jul 1

Jacob Williams Workshop: Manipulation

Jul 1

Things of Foam and Wood Workshop: Mould Making

Jul 2

an angular, African stylized string puppet

Sydney Puppet Theatre: Marionette Workshop

Jul 2

The Puppet Picnic: Jul 1, Saturday

A FREE Community Day on the lawn of the Carlton Highrise Estate of performances, roving puppets, engaging workshops and an opportunity for all to connect, share and celebrate.

Here

Roving Performances:

Between the hours of 11-12.30pm the streets of Carlton will be visited by a collection of fabulous roving puppets. Look for us each day between La Mama HQ and the Carlton Courthouse as well as northern end of Lygon St.

GEORGIE ROSE

THE GARDENERS: Things of Foam and Wood

CURIOUS LEGENDS: Adventures of Bin Chick

LEMONY S Puppet Theatre roving puppets

JULES CHAPPLE

PERRI CAMPBELL: The Plot Chickens

The Melbourne Festival of Puppetry 2023 is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria, the City of Melbourne, Carlton Inc. The Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society, La Mama Theatre and Lemony S Puppet Theatre and proudly sponsored by Creature Technology Company, the Motely Bauhaus and Co.As.It