We're Home!

The Puppet Report:

Hiya, jerks, Suzie here. The people are all Fringe-fried, so I figured I'd be responsible and let you know we are back safely. Also, my awesome plot was even more awesome than I had planned. More to follow!

(Ed. Note: An actual report on the end of fringe and more pictures are coming soon.)

27 June 2010

Last Day of Fringe

Today is the last day of Fringe. But first, some things that happened:

Brian and Shelly came to see us!
We saw some plays!
We did a show!
Bob was attacked by two ladies with pillows!
We went to a yummy vegetarian Asian restaurant, and had piles of seitan!
We went to the last "No Show" of the Fringe!
We busked at the Market, and made (a small number of) dollars!
We bought some paintings!
We saw Liz's ex-pat friend!
Liz finished grading!


So, we're getting ready to go home. The festival flew by. We are satisfied. We made some art, got a response, and were not kicked out of town. All good things. One more show, then some Impresario watching, then some party. It will be a full night.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, Suzie here. I am sad the Fringe is ending. I have been having so much fun. My plot is thickening, and now I'm afraid we will go home before it comes to fruition. Hmm... Anyhow, we got to stay up really late last night, and that was fun. I am kind of mad, because the people went to see "UnADULTeRATED Me", and I was not allowed to go. Two words: Clown Striptease. Come on, how could they leave me out of that?! They are such jerks!

Hi, it's Tommy. Last night, we got to stay up late, because Bob and Liz told us stories. Bob told us "Jack and the Beanstalk" but I think he left out some parts, because it was kind of confusing. Liz told us a wonderful story about a squirrel who goes to hell, and comes back with pointy ears. It was really good. Tonight, we will do the show one more time. Then we will take a long break. I am looking forward to catching up on my summer reading list.

25 June 2010

One more show down! We played to a small, but super, house last night. We have adopted a complete "life in the theatre" schedule, as we didn't have anywhere to be until about six last night, but then we were booked until approximately three in the morning. We did our show, then...we saw "Kicked", which was a great performance of an intense script. Then we saw "American Badass in London", Tommy Nugent's new show, which was quite fun. Then the "No Show". Then, hanging out. Then, home.

Today is another day off, which is grand. We plan to busk a little at the Farmer's Market, then maybe make a trip to Attic Books (used book store that Meg and Liz cannot spend small increments of time and/or probably money in).

We are currently experiencing, en masse, the kind of creativity that comes from spending ten days doing art, surrounded by artists. Ideas are flying fast. The big question of the hour is, "Why not?"

24 June 2010--Reunited

Liz has returned! Yay!

Yesterday was full of moving, regrouping, show watching, and talk showing. We moved to a new billet, and are in London proper now. We are staying with a lovely lady, who has a sweet dog and a beautiful garden. We are within walking distance of our venue, which is great.

We went to Veg Out, a sweet little vegan restaurant on Richmond St., for dinner. Delicious! Megan is going to work out a sweet potato cornbread recipe as soon as possible, in order to have it whenever she wants without driving to Ontario.

We followed up dinner with some shows. We saw Gunpowder and One Man Riot. Both were fantastic. Then, we went on the No Show, which was fun.

The Puppet Report:
Hi, it's Tommy. Liz has returned! I am so happy. Yesterday, we went on the No Show. I was kind of shy. I was also kind of tired, because I had spent a lot of the evening doing some fancy dancing.

Hi, it's Suzie. Even though those jerks ate tempeh without me (Ed. note: Suzie doesn't even know what tempeh is), I still had a good night. I hung out in a coffee shop, and tried to seduce Bob. I think I'm making progress. Then, we went on the No Show, and I tried to seduce the dreamy Canadian host. Again, it was not a total failure. I just need to stick with things. (Ed. note: Suzie has developed a creepy little laugh that cannot be conveyed in print, but she's doing it now.)

What Bob and Meg Did

Yesterday, Bob and Megan made the delightful discovery that downtown London is on the ball. So much on the ball, that they even clean off their posting boards on a regular basis. The posting boards which held...our posters.

So, we spent a good bit of time re-postering Dundas and Richmond Street. Luckily, we had a lot of posters.

We went to a snazzy reception for our billets (hosts), at Il Tenore. It was nice. We munched on goodies, and listened to the owner of the restaurant sing opera. We also listened to the fire alarm, as it got tripped and rang for twenty minutes.

Late in the evening, we went to see Dying Hard, a series of monologues about the death of miners in Newfoundland. It was very well performed.

Then, to the "No Show", where we still missed Liz.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, it's Tommy. I am getting kind of bored. I have not been out much. I heard Liz will be back today, I am excited.

Hi, it's Suzie. I have about six hours to complete my seduction of Bob. Then Liz will come back, and all will be lost. I may only be fourteen inches tall, but I am as mature as an eighteen inch puppet. Screw you, Liz, I do what I want. Of course, all my plans are already being ruined because BOB AND MEGAN ARE IGNORING ME MOST OF THE TIME! They are such jerks. I heard they are planning to go to a vegetarian restaurant without me, once Liz returns. And they know how much I love tempeh! (Ed. Note: Puppets do not eat human food, including tempeh).

What Liz Did

Liz taught. Then she taught some more. Then she took a break and graded. Then she taught again. While grading, she got to look at lots of sparrows.

This sparrow lives in Port Huron. See how nonchalantly he surveys his surroundings! Port Huron sparrows don't have too many worries. They are upper-middle-class sparrows.


This sparrow is a Canadian sparrow. Note how he is almost in flight. Canadian sparrows are always nervous, looking over their shoulders often and flying off at the least provocation. This is because the Canadian songbird season is very long, lasting from mid-May to early October. Most Canadians carry tiny shotguns in their purses or backpacks. This is because a normal-sized shotgun would blow a songbird to bits, and then there would be no sparrow soup for dinner. The miniature shotgun is the weapon of choice for most Londoners. One often sees Canadians walking home, satisfied, with their daily limit of robins, bluebirds, goldfinches, and other songbirds in their satchels.

[Ed. Note: Liz often makes things up.]

What else did Liz do? She mostly missed the puppets, especially Tommy, who doesn't judge her the way Suzie does. She hopes that Suzie has not yet managed to seduce Bob, since - although she's not completely sure what the laws are in Canada - there are probably a lot of statutory laws against puppet/human relations, especially when the puppets are under 18 inches.

Liz can't wait to rejoin the puppets (and Bob and Megan!) this evening. We'll be going to the No Show! Woooo!

22 June 2010

Today is another quiet day. Last night, we stopped in to say hello at the Fringe office, saw "Fruitcake", and went to the No Show. The rest of the day was spent walking around looking at things, reading books, and lazing about. It was a welcome day of resting.

"Fruitcake" was great. A one-man show by a former psychiatric nurse turned performance poet, it explored the "Ten Commandments of the Psych Ward", and was excellently done.

Really, not much happened yesterday. Which was nice.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, Tommy here. Yesterday I took a nap that lasted all day. It was great. I still miss Liz, though.

Hi, Suzie here. I am soooooo mad! Yesterday, Bob and Megan left us at home all day. ALL DAY. We did not get to go to the Fringe at all. We stayed in our bag the entire time. They didn't even take us into London. We missed everything (Ed. Note: As previously stated, Bob and Megan basically did nothing all day long, the puppets didn't miss anything). No fair.

21 June 2010

Today we have no show, no rehearsals, and nothing to see until 7pm. We are taking it really easy. Liz went back to MI to teach for a few days, and Bob and Megan are relaxing. Currently, we're sitting a little cafe. Bob is reading Skeptic Magazine and Meg is getting ready to work on the script for Kearsley Park's Jack and the Beanstalk. After the running around of the past week, this feels extremely luxurious.

Speaking of skeptics, yesterday we saw Burning Man and the Reverend Nuge, a one-man show by Tommy Nugent. Bob and Megan saw it a few years ago at Fringe, but it was Liz's first time. It is a monologue about how he transitioned from a Pentecostal youth pastor to an atheist street magician, and his experiences at the Burning Man Festival in Nevada. It was worth a second viewing. And we may have inadvertently joined a cult.

On the way out of the Arts Project, Bob hit his head on a door. In typical actor "not the face!" style, we are glad to report that though he has a bump, it is not particularly noticeable.

We did our show, and it was fun. We were particuarly glad to see other artists in the audience.

Then we had dinner, and sent Liz off. She is safe in MI, although we are not positive she didn't have any adventures.

Bob and Megan attended the No Show, and missed Liz.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, Tommy here. Does anyone know where my friend Liz is? I can't find her. I am sad. (Ed. Note. It has been explained to Tommy many, many times that Liz is coming back, but puppets are easily confused by the future tense).
Yesterday, we did another show. I like being an actor. It is pretty cool. The audience laughed a lot when I kissed Suzie, and that made me feel good. I was starting to doubt the authenticity of the bit, and now I feel more secure. So that's good. Where's Liz?

Hi, it's Suzie. I don't know why Tommy misses Liz so much. She is always foiling my wonderful plans. "No, you can't be a space vixen, you're too young." "No, you cannot drive the car." "You should stop asking Bob to have sex with you, that's not okay." She is a plan-foiler, and I hope that while she's gone I can finally make my Gerics conquest. God, he's dreamy. Anyhow, we did the show, and I did not mess with the props because I am a professional. Bob and Megan say I can go to the No Show on Wednesday. I am glad. They are finally beginning to treat me with the respect I deserve.

20 June 2010

Last night was London's first "Petite Nuit Blanche", a long night of art that was spread throughout the city. There were aerial artists on the Market Square, installations in alleys, and projections on the side of buildings. Downtown was hopping. It was great. Being from a city with a very limited night life, we were suitably impressed.

We also had the opportunity to see some shows yesterday. We saw a great one woman show, and an amazing aerial dance show. And we stayed up very late.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, Tommy here again. I am still not sure what a Space Vixen is, but I know I like cabarets! We sang a song, and watched some fancy dancing. I did not get to meet Saucy Jack, or any of the Space Vixens, but I did get to meet a very nice Saucy Jack Dancer. Yowza. After the cabaret, I took a nap, while Suzie worked the crowd at the Grand Theatre.

Hi, this is Suzie. I am super mad, because Bob and Megan and Liz did not let me attend any of the shows, or the Petite Nuit Blanche. They made me take a nap, even though I love aerial dance, and performance art. They are jerks. I'm going to hide their props tonight. Fuck them.

Show Two...

Show Two

was lots of fun. We are starting to hit our stride. We are getting a good response from random Fringers we encounter as well, so we’re hoping the word of mouth gets going soon.

Last night, we attended the first episode of “The No Show,” a live talk show that plays each night of the Fringe. We are going to be on next Wednesday. It’s nice to get a little taste of lots of the shows at the Fringe…because there are SO MANY SHOWS!

The puppets are becoming a familiar sight along Dundas Street, since they like inviting people to the show.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, Tommy here. I am having fun at the Fringe. London is a great city. I was born for city life. Friday, Bob let me drive the car, which was scary, but also exhilarating. We did some shows, and I am making lots of friends. Suzie is kind of obnoxious, but otherwise we’re having fun. I wave to all the people when we walk down Dundas St. Tonight, I am going to be in a cabaret with some Space Vixens. I am not sure what a Space Vixen is. Liz has tried to explain, but I am still confused. I will let you know how it goes.

We've Opened!

19 June 2010.

We did our first show yesterday, and are about to do another in about an hour. Hurrah! We're having a great time, and had the opportunity to see some good shows. We had a review in the London Free Press, and while it wasn't raving, it wasn't half bad either. We're glad for the press. The puppets are making friends wherever they go.

Fringe Notes

18 June 2010.

We are in London! (Ontario, friends, don't get too excited. But be excited!). The London Fringe opens today, and we are the first show at our venue, The Arts Project.

A brief account of jam-packed yesterday:

In the morning, we had a great tech rehearsal. We were excited to get into the space. It's great. We have enough space to work in, but it's still quite intimate, which is important for our show. It's a black box in the back of an art gallery, and we want to take it home with us.

We checked in at Fringe HQ, and finally met the people Bob has been telephoning and emailing with for the past six months. They are swell! We spent the rest of the early afternoon papering the town with our posters, occasionally meeting other artists doing the same thing.

Then, we had an interview at CHRW, 94.9, the radio station at the University of Western Ontario, also swell.

But the day did not end there. We still had...a parade! A large, noisy, Fringe parade (technically, a callithump) through downtown London! We provided our share of the noise, what with the banjo (Bob), and the very excited puppets (Megan). Liz wore a sandwich board all evening, which makes her even more awesome than she already is. We paraded to each venue in the festival, and had the opportunity to meet a lot of other artists. We capped off the parade with a performer show case. The puppets took over our slot, but they did let us sing a song first.

So yeah, to recap: tech rehearsal, check-in, postering, interview, parade, showcase= all in one day. We're a little tired, but more than a little thrilled as well.

A briefer account of jam-packed Wednesday:

Everyone went to work, then everyone went to Port Huron. Then everyone crossed the border without incident. Then Bob and Megan were running lines, and everyone missed their exit. That was okay though, because of maps. Then, aside from a few missed turns, everyone arrived in London. Everyone was pleased to meet our billeting host, and everyone went to bed. Ta-da.

The Puppet Report:

Hi, this is Suzie. I am in a play called “Forest for the Trees.” Actually, I am barely in it. I spend most of it in a box. But I still get paid, so that's okay. (Ed. Note: Suzie does not receive money from the Accomplice Theatre Co.). Yesterday, I did a lot of stuff. I went to a theatre, and I did some awesome acting. Then, I sat in the car for a long time, waiting for the people to come back. That was very boring. Then I went to university, and got a degree. (Ed. Note: Suzie was on the campus of the University of Western Ontario for about forty minutes). Then, my brother Tommy and I were in a parade. We got to yell in the library, even though Bob and Megan and Liz have told me you can't yell in libraries. Shows what they know. Anyhow, that parade was fun. I liked the parade. Then, we got to go to a bar, even though Bob and Megan and Liz say puppets are not allowed in bars. They don't know anything. Then, I told some people about our play, and lots of people touched my nose (Ed. Note: Suzie's nose is irresistibly cute).

Forest for the Trees

The Accomplice Theatre Company is delighted to announce its production of Forest for the Trees at the London Fringe Festival, June 16-27.

Love, lust, and family relationships collide in this drama. Step-siblings Ben and Mia must
confront truth, lies, and new boundaries as their relationship changes in ways they didn’t anticipate. And there are puppets.

Check out: http://www.londonfringe.ca/ to see what we're up to.


Want to come see it?
It's at:
The Arts Project
203 Dundas Street
London, Ontario.

Fri June 18, 5:00 Sat June 19, 1:30 Sun June 20, 8:00
Thur June 24, 6:30 Sat June 26, 7:30 Sun June 27, 8:00

Tickets are $8.
Warning: Mature content. Nudity. Puppets.

Want to come and see it without leaving the US?
You have to wait 'til fall, when the show will be at Flint City Theatre (http://www.flintcitytheatre.com/).

Want to stay at home and follow all our international adventures and shenanigans? Keep an eye on this blog.