Jan23
Theatre Preview: Penny Plain - an end-of-the-world romance
Hear what master puppeteer Ronnie Burkett has to say to PositiveLite.com readers about his latest show, Penny Plain, and watch as he previews a short scene from it.
This week, Ronnie Burkett, Canada’s master puppeteer, is bringing his latest creation, Penny Plain, to Toronto theatregoers after wowing audiences in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
Burkett has been captivated by puppetry since the age of seven, when he opened the World Book Encyclopedia to the entry on puppets. He began touring his puppet shows around his native Alberta at the age of 14 and has been on the road ever since. Now recognized as one of Canada’s foremost theatre artists, Burkett has been credited with creating some of the world’s most elaborate and provocative puppetry.
Penny Plain is the 12th production from Burkett’s Theatre of Marionettes. Penny Plain is blind, but she hears plenty about the state of the world and the fate of mankind. And so she decides to sit in her overstuffed chair, nevermore to venture outside, waiting for civilization’s inevitable end. When her seeing-eye dog Geoffrey decides to leave her to live as a man, the outside chaos invades her sanctuary as her end of the world vigil is interrupted by survivalists, a serial killer, a cross-dressing banker, talking dogs and mysterious strangers seeking sanctuary.
Part gothic thriller, part apocalyptic drawing room comedy, Penny Plain shows the funny and chilling consequences as mother earth cleans house and reclaims her ground.
Prior to the Toronto opening, I sat down with Burkett to talk about his new show after he gave PositiveLite.com the opportunity to record a brief scene from it. You can see the scene, interspersed with my interview, in the video posted at the end of this article.
Watch for my review of the show later this week. But don’t wait to reserve your seats; this is likely to be one of the Toronto theatre season’s hot tickets.
Penny Plain plays now through February 26, 2012 at Factory Theatre’s Mainspace, 125 Bathurst Street at Adelaide Street, Toronto, Ontario.
For tickets, visit or call the box office at 416 504 9971 or purchase online at www.factorytheatre.ca
Thanks to Guy McLoughlin for filming and editing this video for PositiveLite.com.
Photo credits: Ronnie Burkett/Theatre of Marionettes. Photo by Trudie Lee.
- Tags: 2012, Factory Theatre, interview, John McCullagh, lgbt, marionettes, Penny Plain, puppets, Ronnie Burkett, theatre, Theatre of Marionettes, theatre preview, Toronto theatre
About the Author
John McCullagh - Publisher
John McCullagh is the publisher of PositiveLite.com. He's an HIV-positive gay man who has been active in Toronto's LGBTQ community since immigrating to Canada from his native Britain in 1975. A social worker by profession, he's worked in government and the not-for-profit sector in both front-line and management positions. His experience includes research, policy analysis, strategic planning, program development, project management, and communications. Much of John's work has focused on the needs of young people, including queer youth.
John was one of the founders of the Toronto Counselling Centre for Lesbians and Gays (now known as David Kelley Services), which, in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, was one of the first organizations in Toronto to offer professional counselling to those infected with and affected by HIV. John regularly contributes articles to PositiveLite.com about his personal experiences of living with HIV, about issues relevant to Canada's HIV and LGBTQ communities and about Toronto's arts and culture scene.
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