Ronnie Burkett, world renowned award-winning Canadian puppeteer performs his Daisy Theatre show, Little Willy, produced by Stanford Live, March 1 – 4, 2023, at the Bing Studio, Palo Alto, California.
Known internationally for his original devised shows told through exquisite marionette puppets, Burkett is the ultimate storyteller and master puppeteer. He skillfully manipulates and voices his marionette characters with quick changes in vocal tone and pitch then brings life to the complex and beautifully carved and costumed characters – always sharing their individual quirks and foibles!
Burkett designs and creates the thirty or more intricate string puppets for every show he devises, performs and tours internationally. Other shows include Forget Me Not, Penny Plain, Billy Twinkle, 10 Days on Earth, Provenance, Happy, Street of Blood, and the arrestingly moving tour de force, Tinka’s New Dress.
Little Willy is a show that includes several characters from prior shows and this time they decide to perform their version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Led by the transformative burlesque star Dolly Wiggler, characters such as the take charge actor Esme Massengill, have their sights on playing the young ingenue, Juliet.
Burkett’s shows are mainly for adult audiences because of their length and depth of storytelling and irreverent bawdy mayhem. Little Willy is an interactive fast paced show – that Burkett announces at the beginning, is improvised – therefore the two hour show with no intermission changes somewhat at each performance. Knowing his carefully crafted and thought out characters as well as he does, Burkett, in view of the audience, ad libs and acts through his puppets with a variety of fascinating observations, quips, double entendres, songs and lines from Shakespeare!
The vibrant excitement flow of the show also includes two particularly memorable characters for their immense heart and humility – Mrs Edna Rural who sits in her comfy armchair regaling us with upbeat stories about her friends in a moving monologue about her husband; and then there is Schnitzel, who will melt your heart!
Little Willy is a very entertaining, well-crafted, witty, humorous show, with Burkett’s brilliant puppetry and multi dimensional performance told through a unique story. Do not miss this show… it’s Highly Recommended!!!
More Information and Tickets:
Stanford Live
https://live.stanford.edu
Jo Tomalin, Ph.D. reviews Dance & Theatre Performances
More Reviews by Jo Tomalin
TWITTER @JoTomalin
www.forallevents.com Arts & Travel Reviews
Jo Tomalin studied with Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She completed the two year professional course at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris, France, where she also completed the Laboratoire du Mouvement (LEM) scenography, mask and movement course.
Originally from England, Jo is currently based in San Francisco, where she reviews Theatre & Dance for www.ForAllEvents.com & www.FringeReview.co.uk. She is a Professor in the School of Theatre & Dance at San Francisco State University where she teaches performance subjects and directs MainStage plays. She also works in the performing arts field as a freelance movement & voice specialist, director + actor. Jo’s play “Jessica” which she also directed was produced at the Fringe of Marin – a One Act New Play Festival in Northern California.
Jo Tomalin graduated with a degree from London University’s Laban Centre Teaching Credential program in Modern Dance, Art of Movement & Choreography; studied Classical Acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London; completed a teacher’s diploma (ATCL) in Voice and Acting from Trinity College of Dramatic Art, London; and studied classical ballet for 12 years.
Jo also holds a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University, MN, and a Master of Science degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University in the USA.
