Ada, Asmin and the Analytical Engine is a beautiful new work for family audiences from Lemony S Puppet Theatre.
Asmin, a newly-arrived Turkish refugee is struggling with remote learning when a magical cat (and the wonders of cyberspace) lead her to Victorian-era mathematician Ada Lovelace. Together, connected across time, they find commonality in numbers and philosophy, and inspiration to follow their dreams.
In this imagined place, shaped by real events, we explore how far we have come in education rights for girls, how far we have to go, and the world-altering shifts that occur when we empower young women to reach their full potential.
Made in collaboration with math teacher and Turkish refugee, Bilge Aslan, the story combines the real-life experiences of girls worldwide who have been denied an education with the story of Ada Lovelace and her world-altering inventions. It's an inspiring new adventure told through the beautiful magical realism for which Lemony S Puppet Theatre are renowned.
WORLD PREMIERE
Thursday 4th April & Friday 5th April 2024
Riverside Theatre
Parramatta, NSW
Creative Team
Sarah Kriegler Co writer & co-director
Deniz Aslan Co writer
Jacob Williams Co director & Mrs Puffs puppeteer
Ben Grant Dramaturg
Tamara Rewse (Things Of Foam and Wood) Set, costume design, puppet design & puppet construction
Bronwyn Pringle Lighting designer
Meena Shamaly & Natalie Jeffreys Sound designer
Asmida Aslan Performer/puppeteer
Ada Williams Kriegler Performer/puppeteer
Fiona Macleod Performer/puppeteer
Oz Malik Performer/puppeteer
Dans Sheeran (Parrot Ox) Producer
Dave Farmer Production management
Holly Anderson Stage management
Read Artist’s full biogs here
Camping together on a star-lit night Dad and Kid wait for a comet passing by for the first time in 50,000 years. While they wait, Kid explains to Dad gravity, light years, space-time and blackholes.
Using puppetry techniques, Lemony S Puppet Theatre transports audiences into space with this striking performance for children and their families
What do a team of astrophysicists have to do with making children’s theatre? Quite a lot at Monash University! LITTLE BLUE DOT has been developed in collaboration with Dr Rosemary Mardling and Dr Alex Wallace from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy and commissioned by Monash University Performing Arts Centres with co-commissioning support from Geelong Arts Centre.
Grounded in a camping star-gazing adventure between a child and their dad, LITTLE BLUE DOT tackles the big questions we ask about space, our place in it and why this precious little blue dot floating in space, matters so very much.
Creative Team
Sarah Kriegler Co writer & co-director
Ben Grant Co writer & composer
Jacob Williams Co director
Christina Smith Set, costume design &puppet design
Richard Vabre Lighting designer
Dr Rosemary Mardling and Dr Alexander Wallace Monash University Collaborating Astrophysicists
Cliff Dolliver Puppet Maker
James Saunders Performer/puppeteer
Cian Morgan Performer/puppeteer
Paris Balla Puppeteer
Olivia O'Brien Puppeteer
Dans Sheeran (Parrot Ox) Producer
Dave Farmer Production Manager
Blaze Bryons Stage Manager
Production Images by Jeff Busby
Read Artist’s full biogs here
Read a review of Little Blue Dot here
Picasso and His Dog is a work for children and their families. Inspired by the remarkable story of Pablo Picasso and his artistic muse - an elongated sausage dog called Lump - this work explores dogs, deep love and the animal muse in art. Complete with live art-making on stage, this work premiered at Hot House Theatre in Albury- Wondonga, Australia and shortly after in Melbourne at the Darebin Arts Centre.
The work then toured nationally throughout 2019 across 4 states, playing in over 25 venues to 1000s of children and their families.
“Picasso and his Dog is as finely devised and realised piece of theatre, of any kind, as you will see. For children, who deserve nothing but the best in their early experience of the arts, it is a gift beyond measure.” - See Saw magazine
Click here to read a review.
To see some tour highlights, click here
Click here to read creatives biographies
This work was supported by The Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria, Polyglot Theatre, Darebin Arts and Creative Partnerships Australia through MATCH. Thank you to all our generous MATCH supporters, especially Betty Amsden OAM and Pierre and Lili-Ann Kriegler.
Many thanks also to the team at Regional Arts Victoria for their excellent tour coordination.
Artists
Sarah Kriegler Writer/Director
Jonathon Oxlade Designer with Yvette Turnball
Rachel Burke Lighting Designer
Jethro Woodward Co Sound Designer/Composer
Ben T.D Co Sound Design/Composer
Margaret Cameron Dramaturg
Ben Grant, Tamara Rewse, Jacob Williams, Hamish Fletcher Performers
Annie Forbes & Tim Denton (About Face Puppets) 'Lump' Puppet Makers
Jacob Williams Puppet Maker
Tamara Rewse Puppet Doctor
Rainbow Sweeny Production Manager (Premiere Season)
Alice Pollard Production Manager (2019 Tour)
Bec Etchell & Kevin Ng Tour Managers
Erin Milne Tour Producer & Pre-season Producer (2019 & 2015)
Samantha Butterworth Tour Set Up Producer (2017)
Simon Bedford Premiere Season Producer (2016)
Regional Arts Victoria Tour Coordinators
A new shadow work for families, CROW KID is a beautiful and powerful story about resilience, connection and the healing power of friendship. Crow Kid has moved to Nanna’s farm after a recent loss. It’s summer holidays but it sure doesn’t feel like a normal summer. They’re lonely and super miserable. To ease their misery, they starts to feed the crows who visit Nanna’s yard each afternoon. Everyday a tit-bit of food from their afternoon tea. Over time, a beautiful friendship between child and birds begins. Little does Crow Kid know a human friend is on the horizon, waiting to be introduced to them and the crows.
CROW KID is presented through shadow puppetry ‘unplugged’. Projected onto a back screen with all the mechanicians revealed, audience members get to see how the effects and shadows are created hopefully inspiring them to create their own stories in shadows.
This work was first commissioned and presented by ArtSpace Maroondah.
CROW KID will was seen throughout Victoria throughout 2023 and was presented at ASSETJI Korea Summer Festival, 2023.
Artists
Sarah Kriegler Writer/Director
Jacob Williams Designer/Puppet Maker/Co creator
Ben Grant Sound Design/Composer/Dramaturg
UB Lee & Em Chandler Performers
Regional Arts Victoria Tour Coordinators
Rosie is different. Different from her family, from her classmates, different from everyone she’s ever met. Sometimes she feels like an alien dropped her off to school, left and never to come back. It seems that no-one understands her except for her unusual best friend - a snail she hides in the school garden. But, one day a great mystery befalls the school and everything changes and Rosie proves that thinking differently about the world can be a real asset in detective work! Join Rosie in an hilarious adventure that proves some of the weirdest ones amongst us are just heroes in disguise.
Complete with bespoke puppets, props and set, Rosie Podge is a visual delight that celebrates the different amongst us and reflects the diversity of the Australian community. Inspired by true events and local heroes, Rosie Podge will leave young viewers giggling with delight long after the show is finished and make the aliens amongst us feel a little less weird.
This work is a low-tech touring work for children aged 4 – 10 yrs.
"Delightful!" - teacher, Theatreworks, 2015
"That was so funny!" - child, 7yrs, Theatreworks, 2015
"I love it. The puppets and everything" - child, 10yrs, Theatreworks 2015
"It's so important for children to see stories about inclusivity. Beautiful work. Thank you" - kindergarten teacher, Brunswick East Kindergarten.
'Rosie Podge; The Alien That Saved the Day' was commissioned by Theatreworks, 2015.
Artists
Jacob Williams Performer/creator
Sarah Kriegler Director/creator
Ada Williams Kriegler Voice of 'Rosie'
Henry Williams Kriegler Voice of 'Arnold'
Many thanks to Billy Paul and Ann and Tony Kriegler for their assistance in creating this work.
World Premiere; September 2015, Theatreworks, St Kilda, Melbourne, VIC
Other Seasons;
October 2015, Nati Frinj, Natimuk, VIC
December 2015, Brunswick South Primary School Art Fair, VIC
December 2015, Brunswick South Kindergarten, VIC
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes once more, the Scarlet St Theatre's doors are open again but things are not all as rosy as they seem. The theatre is losing money and audience numbers (and with a capacity of 17, this is pretty dire!). Barry's off-sider hits upon a solution - make work for children and all children love animals don't they? So, how about a show for children performed by animals? It can't go wrong…or can it?!?!
This work was commissioned and presented by Arts Centre Melbourne's Family and Youth Programming.
This work is for children aged 6 years and up.
Artists
Jacob Williams Creator/performer
Steph O'Hara Creator/Sound designer
Sarah Kriegler Creator/director
Taking the Waters is a new, bold work for adults from Lemony S Puppet Theatre.
Three sisters gather together after many years apart. One of them is dying.
In this complex world, old patterns of behaviour play out, old wounds are re-exposed and ultimately, a new reality where three becomes two must be found.
Created in collaboration with internationally celebrated artist Kyoko Imazu, singer-songwriter Susannah Espie and Lemony S Puppet Theatre, Taking the Waters is a visually stunning, aching and humorous examination of the absurdity of life and death.
This new work from Lemony S Puppet Theatre combines live performance, sung voice, bunraku puppets and object theatre with stunning and multi-layered shadow scenes.
WORLD PREMIERE
Wednesday 20th November - Sunday 2nd November 2019
Northcote Town Hall
189 High St , Northcote
Creative Team
Sarah Kriegler Writer/director & co-creator
Jacob Williams Co-creator
Ben Grant Dramaturg & co-creator
Yvette Turnbull Set, costume design & Duck puppet design
Rachel Burke Lighting designer
Kyoko Imazu Shadow puppetry design & construction –
Marco Cocher-Gibard Sound designer
Suzannah Espie Composition/performer & co-creator
Fiona Macleod Performer
Tamara Rewse Performer/puppeteer/puppet maker
Erin Milne (Bureau of Works) Producer
Jeff Busby Production Images
Read Artist’s full biogs here
Read a review of the work here
Deep underground, something is stirring. Ideas are spreading and change is beckoning. The Captives have a choice: embrace the terrifying uncertainty of change or maintain the status quo. Captives of the City is a dynamic fusion of digital puppetry, live animation, music and performance; a new chamber opera that tackles fundamental questions of our time.
It was performed in a secret location in the depths of Arts Centre Melbourne. The experience at the Arts Centre Melbourne began at Curve Bar 15 mins before performance start time.
This work is for adult audiences.
“As an act of digital puppetry it’s astounding”
THE AGE
Captives of the City is a collaboration between independent company Lemony S Puppet Theatre and Chamber Made Opera.
This project was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Awards: Green Room Association "Best Design and Realisation"
Green Room Association "Best Puppetry Performance"
Artists
Sarah Kriegler Writer/Director
Ben Grant Dramaturge
David Young Composer
Jethro Woodward Musical Director/Sound Designer
Dave Jones Animator/digital puppetry design
Rainbow Sweeny Production Management/lighting consultation
Jacob Williams Designer
Adam Pierzchalski Performer
Matthias Schack-Arnott Percussion/performer
Mark Cauvin Double bass/performer
Jacob Williams Puppetry/performer
2015: World Premiere Season, Arts Centre Melbourne (11 – 14 February)
Apples and Ladders is a non-verbal, impressionistic exploration into ageing, love and mortality. A deeply moving beer-stained story in a neighbourhood not unlike our own, this work is it a twisted suburban fable of loss and redemption, a story between two elderly neighbours plays out; surprising both of them with unexpected tenderness and connection.
Supported by music from UK Brechtian Punk Gypsy band The Tiger Lilies, Apples and Ladders portrays love, sadness, dreams and hope using layered images of shadow puppetry, object theatre and banraku puppets.
First presented at The Malthouse Theatre to sold-out audiences and rave reviews, Apples and Ladders has been seen across Australia and the world.
This work is for adult audiences.
“superb, deeply affecting theatre”
The Age 2006
Artists
Sarah Kriegler Creator/Performer
Jacob Williams Creator/Performer
Jethro Woodward Sound Designer
Richard Vabre Lighting Designer
The Tiger Lillies Music & Composition
Martyn Jaques Additional Composition
Ben Grant Tour Manager & Technical Supervisor.
2007: World Premiere Malthouse Theatre
2007; Castlemain State Festival
2008; Carlton Courthouse
2008; UNIMA World Festival of Puppetry (Perth)
2008; Act 3 International (Singapore)
2010; International Festival of Puppetry (Rome, Italy)
To read some reviews of the work, click the links below;
Something is amiss in the Lichtenstein Nursing Home. Sitting high in the misty mountains, unexpected, gruesome (and sometimes absurd) deaths keep occurring. A murderer is amongst us and it’s up to the residents to discover who it is before another victim is found.
The Lichtenstein Nursing Home Massacre weaves identity theft, classical film genres and famous murders to tell its twisted and gruesome tale. Demented puppets lull the audience into a false sense of safety while posing the question: who is actually pulling the strings of this macabre adventure? Are all these deaths just another stunt to divert our attention from the real issues once again? Audience, be alarmed AND alert or you may be next!
The Lichtenstein Nursing Home Massacre follows in the rich tradition and black comedy of ‘Punch and Judy’, using puppetry and humour to explore the politics and macabre of the world around us. Supplied with miniature binoculars, the audience is invited to lean in, laugh loudly and reflect upon their own larger world.
This work is for adult audiences
"...THIS puppetry is awesome!…I was laughing so hard I thought I couldn’t give it any less than four and a half stars!"
Nicole Eckersley, Arts Hub, Oct 2012
Artists
Christzan Bagin, Sarah Kriegler, Jacob Williams, Jethro Woodward Original Concept
Sarah Kriegler Writer/director
Jacob Williams Designer/performer/puppet maker
John Paul Fishbach Dramaturge
Steph O'Hara Sound Designer
Christzan Bagin Puppet Maker/performer
Tim Denton Puppet Maker/performer
Rosie Pidd Stage Management/operator
2012; World Premiere, The Carlton Courthouse
To read some reviews of the work, click below;
The Liechtenstein Nursing Home Massacre - Arts Hub & The Age
Part cabaret, part redemption story, this is perhaps the tiniest show with the longest name. This epic and cinematic 'finger puppet' extravaganza is held in a miniature theatre which seats only 12 people. It is a solo performance telling a sweeping story spanning seven decades using finger puppets inside a fully functional miniature theatre, complete with lights and sound and a 15 bar flying rig. We follow the journey of Barry Von Peabody fleeing from Nazi Germany and travelling on the ten pound tickets to Australia, this truly is a theatrical experience of epically small proportions!
This work is for adult audiences.
"Lemony S creates charming puppet theatre… its latest delights emerge from an intimate, red velvet show-tent in a Brunswick backyard." Cameron Woodhead, The Age, Sept 2011
"The puppetry is deftly and delightfully rendered, and the look and character of the piece is magical."" - Elly Varrenti, Melbourne Times
"This new creation is a charming and emotive story that depicts a world in miniature" - Kate Herbert, Herald Sun
Artists
Jacob Williams Creator/Performer
Steph O'Hara Creator/Sound designer
Sarah Kriegler Creator/directer
2011; World Premiere, The Melbourne Fringe Festival
2012; The Village Festival (Melbourne)
To read reviews of the work, click the links below;
The Cautionary Tale of Barry Von Peabody and The Scarlet St Theatre, Episode 1 - Theatre Press
The Cautionary Tale of Barry Von Peabody and The Scarlet St Theatre, Episode 1 - Prompt Side
