The Best Puppet Show Ever Made
Dirty Duckling’s performance FUNNY is made of Finnish puppeteers’ burning desire to conquer the theatre world. It consists of great skills, balloonlike humour and a lot of dreaming. The show reaches from its edgy surface to highly intimate and delicate moments
On stage we see two puppeteers, doing their very best to create the funniest things you can imagine. Accompanied by a pile of balloons and a couple of human-size puppets they aim to reach and hide from the spotlights. Funny brings to the stage the dreams of glory, magically floating balloons, eternal smiles, and a childlike adult with a child dressed up as a bunny, television, Mary had a little lamb, popcorn, cotton candy. But when the day turns into a night, the sheep start to take over and a gun appears under the pillows.
What can one do to protect their most fragile dreams? Is it okay to be as light-hearted as a helium balloon? And more importantly: how many ideas can you put into one show, if you really like them all?
FUNNY is fun. FUNNY is touching. FUNNY is the best puppet show ever made. The working group of FUNNY consists of the shiniest heroes of Finnish contemporary puppet theatre. With this almost wordless, highly visual and skilfully manipulated show they are ready to target straight into corners of your mouth, heart and worldwide fame.
WORKING GROUP concept, script, performance: Merja Pöyhönen & Riina Tikkanen Director: Pia Kalenius Set design, puppets : Jenni Rutanen Composing: Antti-Juhani Manninen Light design: Essi Santala Technician: Antton Kainulainen Puppet trainee: Eve Mäkitalo Videos: Riina Tikkanen Production: Kuuma Ankanpoikanen ja Markus Alanen
Performance is supported by: Aura of Puppets, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Finnish Cultural Foundation, TOP-Säätiö, Turku Theatre Foundation, Puppet theatre Sampo
PERFORMANCES Sat 5.11 at 20:15 Manilla-teatteri, Aurinkobaletti. Itäinen Rantakatu 64, Turku
Duration: 1h (no intermission) Age recommendation: 15 + Language: Nearly worldess, English Tickets: Aura of Puppets Holvi web shop
The performance premiered at 2021 Sampo Festival, International Puppet Theatre Festival in Helsinki. Dirty Duckling is a puppetry pioneer ensemble known for their anarchistic performances. FUNNY will be the focal point of TIP-Fest’s Saturday evening on 5 November 2022.
Unettomien öiden lampaidenlaskemisen ja tyhjiksi poksahtavien unelmien keskellä Merja Pöyhösen ja Riina Tikkasen sanaton työ on soljuvaa, tarkkaa, ja he ovat nukettamisen lisäksi fyysisessä ilmaisussaan erittäin hyviä.
— Kaikissa Kuuman Ankanpoikasen teoksissa kokonaisvaltainen visuaalisuus on ollut itsestäänselvyys, mutta nyt huomaan jotain vieläkin pidemmälle menevää kykyä käyttää valoa, ääntä ja musiikkia luontevasti materiaaleina.
Maria Säkö, Helsingin Sanomat, 27.8.2021
Funny is a rich, flashy and bold performance that makes you laugh and pokes both the brainstem and the heart. — It’s also a kind of self-portrait of a group of artists whose members are the brightest stars of puppetry, and at the same time anarchistic wanderers of their own path.
Frida Maria Pessi, Turun Sanomat, 9/29/2021
