Author: Merle Harley

With Puppetmongers. Two Sundays – November 15^th and 22^nd, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Fee $225  

N.B. This Table-Top workshop and Table-Top 101 make a full program. The discounted fee for both workshops is $275.

Tabletop puppetry is a puppetry technique that has been evolving in the Americas and Europe ever since the first international tours of Japan’s Bunraku Theatre Company. A few generalities about the style would be:

The puppets are complete sculptural figures, fully three-dimensional. As the manipulators work in full view of the audience and close to the figures, their relationship to the puppets and the action must be taken into consideration. The performance no longer fits in a booth, and, with the manipulators visible, the full stage area comes into play.

Puppetmongers have spent fifty-two years developing their own version of tabletop puppetry, Puppetmongers have generated a great store of information, techniques and skills in this style. Ann and David of Puppetmongers will help participants to design, construct, dress and manipulate their own puppet figures in this contemporary form of puppetry. Some previous experience with saws and tools required.

With Jamie Shannon. November 21^st, half-day from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Fee $100

How do you make a puppet feel like it is thinking, listening, and responding? In this practical, playful workshop, Jamie Shannon shares tools developed over 35 years of performance: focus, breath, timing, stillness, movement, and point of view. Bring a puppet and discover how small choices make it feel alive.

Participants should bring a hand puppet they can operate. If not having a puppet would keep someone from participating, please let us know ahead of time, and Jamie will bring some of his own puppets to use.

Jamie Shannon is a Toronto puppeteer, writer, and director, and co-creator and performer of Nanalan’ and Mr. Meaty. Over 35 years, he has brought practical characters to life for television, film, theatre, and live audiences, including work for Disney, Nickelodeon, CBC, and Jim Henson Company productions.

POSTPONED – NEW DATES TBA

This 2 session Zoom & live workshop explores recent discovered techniques for live video table performances. These include backlighting, computer-controlled cutting machines, multi-level animation table, and $store special effects.

Session 1: Show & tell with talk back.

Session 2: Presentation of projects. Some shadow puppetry involved. Live participants get 3 additional hours exploration time in studio and hands on assistance.  Materials required: cell phone (both the light & video camera). (If you have an Iphone & Macbook you can use Continuity Camera.) props, puppets & basic craft supplies from around your house.  Document projector if you have one. Further documentation provided before workshop.

ONLINE (& LIVE if in Victoria) Fees: Online: $100 (2 – 3hr sessions). Live in Victoria: $150 (a 6hr & a 3hr session). Auditing final presentation Online or Live (Oct. 25 th ): $20

Click here for Low-tech Multimedia Demos: (Note the workshop dates on video are not accurate.)

Tim Gosley has experimented with live video projection since the late 1980s. In
2025/26 he won The Victoria Theatre Spotlight Award for Best Design (shadow
puppets) for play Genki Bear, and he taught a 1 week credited intensive of the same techniques at the University of Victoria Drama Department. He puppeteered for Jim Henson’s original Fraggle Rock; was Basil Bear on Canadian Sesame Street; and won a Gemini award for Wumpa’s World.