These are not your childhood puppets: no Lamb Chop, not even of the same species as any of the raunchier Muppets (apologies to Miss Piggy). No, Ronnie Burkett’smarionettes are really something else. Donned in beautifully crafted costumes and painted with expressions ranging from the adorably innocent to fantastically grotesque, his collection of over thirty marionettes includes a twerking librarian, multiple talking animals, including a gay rabbit who is also an aspiring Olympian, the aged and flighty French chanteuse Jolie Jolie, and a haggard diva named Esme who refuses to relinquish her spotlight.
For two hours straight Burkett worked the crowd to perfection. The largely improvised play not only had the audience cackling but also revealed just how well Burkett knows what he is doing. The entire night was an onslaught of jokes at the expense of Canadian politicians, Rob Ford and John Baird being givens, but also local culture, taking light hearted jabs at other Vancouver institutions, even his hosts at The Cultch. Burkett has mastered the art of walking a fine line and he never falters.
Burkett’s show works because it embraces the best things about theatre. The Daisy Theatre demonstrates that a good performance is not only about keeping your audience entertained but also keeping them engaged. Burkett must have been studying up on Marshall McLuhan (or more likely has just tapped into his years of experience), as he clearly knows that a show that involves the audience is a successful one. Not only did the way the audience reacted determine much of the play, Burkett even managed to get a few unsuspecting audience members up on stage.
Audience participation can often feel awkward and while this was no exception, it was awkward in the best way possible; the balcony gleefully looked on at the front rows as Burkett plucked out his next unwitting victim who would either suffer the fate of poorly attempting to work a marionette or, better yet, be seduced by one. Not only is Burkett unafraid to take the show to weird places; he revels in it. The whole performance, audience participation especially, was testament to the fact that it is often those cringe worthy moments that make us laugh the most.
While most of the show fell somewhere between silly and fantastically bizarre, it had its more heartfelt moments too. The adorable Schnitzel, a peculiar child-mutant who wants to be a fairy, certainly elicited a few “awwws”, but it was Edna, a widowed farm wife confronting dementia, who unexpectedly stole the show.
At The Daisy Theatre an audience who shows up with an open mind ready to be entertained will certainly be rewarded. And while everyone’s favourite diva Esme taught the audience how to greet a star, they were already in the know about triumphant send offs, giving Burkett a well-deserved standing ovation.
The Daisy Theatre is on at The Cultch until December 15th. Don’t miss the chance to be enchanted by Burkett’s quirky characters—grab tickets online.