Winter 2023

Primary Season Shows La Mamicas, La Mama Kids, Playreading, La Mama Mobile Melbourne Festival of Puppetry 2023 Jun 27 – Jul 2 11 Children’s Performances, 3 adults performances, Roving Performances throughout the festival, Children’s Puppet Workshops and Professional Development Opportunities for Artists and Adults. La Mama Explorations 2023

Winter 2023

26 Jun – 8 Oct

Primary Season Shows

A woman, a man, and a child sit together, each holding a screen which displays another woman.

Jul 5 – Jul 16

Four faces in a dimly lit space with a flying bird in the background.

I said this to the bird

Aug 2 – Aug 13

Aug 16 – Aug 27

Two women in suits stand looking at camera. One is wearing a moustache. The other holds a ukulele.

Aug 23 – Aug 27

piano (in seven parts)

Aug 31 – Sep 2

Sep 20 – Oct 1

La Mamicas, La Mama Kids, Playreading, La Mama Mobile

A crow flying through a storm with a child’s doll in its claw.

BIRTHDAY BOOK OF STORMS in New Zealand

Aug 2 – Aug 10

Five exhausted young people in fancy clothes, with party popper streamers in their hair, holding balloons that read “RIP”

RIP – Rest in Paradise

Sep 27 – Sep 30

Playreading: Vivaldi’s Park

Playreading: THE PASSING

Playreading: Why We Took the Car (Tschick)

Uncle Vanya in Krivina

Sep 1 – Sep 2

Three performers look directly at the camera while sitting on the floor. The first is wearing a red top with a white fur coat and elaborate facepaint on their face and neck, the middle performer is wearing a blue bonnet with pointy ears and a floral shirt and the right performer is wearing clown-like makeup and a tartan wrap dress.

MIDSUMMICA July 2023

A black and white photograph of an audience, showing the back of many people

MUSICA July 2023: How do we listen?

A young woman is sitting in a chair in a vast grassland, clutching her skirt and holding a suitcase.

POETICA July 2023: The Poetry of My Generation

Close up of a man with his fist under his chin. He wears a pink silk shirt with pearl detailing and stage make up. In the background is another man wearing a white collard shirt and suspenders. He has his hand held up mimicking a puppet.

Cabaretica July 2023: Winter Variety Show

Melbourne Festival of Puppetry 2023

Jun 27 – Jul 2

11 Children’s Performances, 3 adults performances, Roving Performances throughout the festival, Children’s Puppet Workshops and Professional Development Opportunities for Artists and Adults.

Two puppeteers with a giant ibis puppet interacting with children

The Puppet Picnic

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

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

BLACK HOLE Theatre: KUTHUMI

Jun 29 – Jul 2

MURRAY AND THE MURRAYONETTES: They Came From Uranus

Jun 29 – Jul 2

Two shadow puppets are operated by a hand

UB Workshop: Shadow Puppets

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

Puppetry Festival 2023 Full Program

La Mama Explorations 2023

Jul 4 – Jul 6

How To Eat Rabbit

Jul 7 – Jul 9

A sci themed image of a naked women with a disco ball and large ufo in the background.

Jul 10 – Jul 12

A black and white image of a woman and her son from above their shoulders on a hot pink background. Mum and son are rotated sideways in opposite directions so their heads are almost touching.

Jul 13 – Jul 15

An illustration of a man in a suit, holding a guitar, surrounded by human, animal and Muppet faces in sunglasses.

Jul 16 – Jul 18

A woman with a white sheet over her and a lit, red halo shines from behind her, holding out a small red heart, bound in rope.

The Devil Doth Preach

Jul 19 – Jul 21

A man sits within a chalk-drawn outline of a box, one hand raised to draw envelopes that fall around him.

Jul 22 – Jul 24

A woman wearing a black dress and red boxing gloves, with smeared make up and messy hair, has an aggressive expression on her face.

Jul 25 – Jul 27

A woman, looking apprehensive, in front of a bright orange sky and silhouette of a house and trees.

Jul 28 – Jul 30

A non-binary person covered in dripping black abyssal paint smears it from their face to their hairline.

Aug 3 – Aug 5

An empty pram stands in blue shadow

There is no such thing as a baby

Aug 6 – Aug 8

A performer speaks to a character on screen as the character looks apologetically at the viewer.

Aug 9 – Aug 11

A pseudo mirror image composite of the day and night sky intersecting at the horizon

Aug 9 – Aug 19

A woman holds a finger to her lips, in a gesture of secrecy.

Strange Locutions

Aug 12 – Aug 14

Two flowers float in the middle of blackness with streams of light between them.

Ballads from the Brink

Aug 18 – Aug 20

A women in a white dress and winner sash is being crowned the winner of a beauty pageant by three women.

Everyone wants to be Emma

Aug 28 – Aug 30

A woman sitting outside writes a letter, only her forearm and shadow can be seen.

Dear Sun, Love Joy

Aug 31 – Sep 2

a collage of tangled legs, naked, with a menacing knife protruding out of a bum

Sep 3 – Sep 5

A woman holds a lantern. She walks through a forest at night. The stars in the sky are bright and guide. her way.

Worlds Where Life Might Exist

Sep 9 – Sep 11

A woman with brown hair and crying with black mascara down cheeks. The back ground is a blue sky and rainbow draw by a child.

Sep 10 – Sep 12

Close up of a young women

Sep 15 – Sep 17

Two women stare into them camera. One is seated and wearing an oversized mechanic jumpsuit. The other wears a red 1950s dress. The sun is setting behind them.

Sep 18 – Sep 20

A woman in hot pink with fake blonde hair and a strained smile, stands behind a plastic wall with one hand pressed against it.

Fantastic in Plastic

Sep 24 – Sep 26

A young woman in headphones is shouted at by another person

Sep 27 – Sep 29

A man in a white suit jacket holds both hands behind his head.

Oct 3 – Oct 5

Oct 6 – Oct 8