I’ve just come back from Diva, and wow!!! 

Read today’s diary post here. Follow with Flickr photos.

This was an Australian premiere of the performance, coming from Denmark, and rumours have it that it was selling fast. This review not only makes it clear why, but at the end, you will understand just how amazing this performance really is. While the below endeavours to capture as much of the description of the show as possible, it is really impossible to do so, without photos or without seeing the show yourself. It’s indescribable. However, if you go to the production company’s website, you’ll see plenty of great photos (the first link at the top of the post, takes you to the UNIMA booking page; this one goes to the actual website for the show). 

Billed as a cartoon comedy, and a poetic drama, Diva was presented at Rechabites’ Hall. I chose this performance from the beautiful picture of one of the puppets; not even caring much about the storyline. (I should also add that I wanted to see shows that I wouldn’t normally see in Australia, and have tried to avoid Australian companies where possible, unless extremely interesting to me - I can always see them another time, but someone from another country…?) … Rechabites reminds me of a smaller version of Trades Hall in Carlton, Melbourne. Very sort of heritage building, but the actual theatre space was more like North Melbourne Town Hall’s main space - minus that ridiculously over-raked stage. Rechabites’ stage was quite wide, but it had been cornered off with flats to make it wide enough only to see the set. 

The set was simple; a round puppet booth, no more than a metre and a half in diameter (it was round), and covered in a lovely purple velvet, with the same velvet trim around the top. 

Please note: spoilers ahead!!!!

The show began, with the booth spinning around, and on one side, the middle section of the velvet is pulled back, curtain style. Inside is quite clearly designed as a puppet booth - think glove puppets - and from below the ‘window’ of the booth appears a ‘diva’, who starts singing. At first we’re fascinated by the wonderful crafmanship of the Diva, for she is a carefully crafted (what looked like ceramic, but was probably papier mache, or something just as light) lady, with purple eyeshadow and lovely hues to go with it. (See above link to the show for a great picture). While it’s not clear from the photo, she is in fact a mouth puppet, operated much like a muppet, only with the puppeteer’s arm as the neck of the Diva (and no body to the puppet). This is one of our main characters, a diva who performs operatic pieces in the local theatre. We soon discover that her head not only moves, but her mouth, her marble-like eyes, and her beautiful eyelids. 

After we are introduced to the Diva, the booth spins once more, and a second window appears in the booth (think of it like having four sides, even though it is round; it comes in handy later). Here we meet the Professor, a snarling deformed man with his body gone and replaced by a platform on wheels. He is in his lab, an amazingly complex puppet stage area - consider the window to be 50cm wide by 20cm tall - for a space so small. In it there are contraptions, rooms, hidden traps, switchs, flashing lights, bells, a robot, and much more. The robot, as we discover, has been designed by the Professor to build him a body; but needs more material to do so. The Professor is impatient and sends his servant to get more materials. The Professor is a rod puppet, operated from below, but his facial expressions are reminiscent of animatronics - I couldn’t work out how it was being done. 

Here we meet another main character, Eddie. A vampire bunny - or rodent - whose main aim is to avoid the Professor, try to do his work, and to eat carrots. He runs around and generally causes chaos, but is incredibly hilarious, providing most of the comedy, as he dances his way around the sets and has a difficult time dealing with the Professor’s demands. Eddie is a small glove puppet. 

At some point, we are also introduced to the Butler, literally a glove puppet (yes, I mean a glove), who is in love with the Diva, but is also an alcoholic. The third side of the booth forms his bedroom, which consists of a cupboard, a mirror (backed with a photo of the Diva), and several bottles from which he drinks. Below it is another small booth window, only revealed for certain scenes which allow us to watch a character move from one window, or setting, to another. 

Back to the story: Eddie rushes off to find some materials (in this case, fruit), comes back, but the robot still needs more. So he runs off again to get some, and in the meantime the Diva sings a song which involves fruit in her head piece. Eddie notices, and runs back to the lab and picks up some poison - in the form of powder, which is blown in her face - and she collapses. Eddie takes the fruit from her head, and runs back to the lab. 

Because the Diva is unconscious, the theatre presents a different performance, and invites some guest stars: two very funny clowns/acrobats, which are glove puppets (think of Benny and Joon style puppets, where your index and middle fingers make the legs; shoes on the ends of the fingers; and heads/clothes added to a black glove). These acrobats generally do tricks and be silly, and involve a hilarious bit where they both lose their heads! 

The Diva finally wakes up, and figures out that she’s been replaced by guest stars and gets upset at the Butler. She discovers under the floor a carrot, and decides to follow it, realising that whoever left it had drugged her. She soon catches up to Eddie and flushes him down the toilet - he leaves behind the potion that was finally made by the Professor to restore his body. But don’t feel sorry for Eddie, he went to a better place. Meanwhile, the Butler hangs himself, and one of the clowns manages to blow up the lab - with smoke and all! - when it wanders off to find its head. Finally the Diva drinks the potion, and gains a body, revealing a new side of the booth.. 

While the performance has some dialogue, there is little reliance on it, and instead, much of the comedy and story is told via the puppets’ movements. There is a lot of prerecorded music, sound effects, and other noises, but they are all extremely effective and appropriate. Lighting was simple; white front lights for most of the show, until the potion is ready and then we went into a very slow, dim, eerie atmosphere. 

What makes this all so much more remarkable is that the entire performance is done by one person: director Sofie Krog. All the little switches and mechanisms in the complex lab, the diva, the professor and Eddie, the guest stars, the rotation of the booth and the changing of sets, costumes, puppets and other necessary behind-the-scenes things, we all done by Krog. And what’s more, the show was so fast paced that I didn’t have time to write notes - not wanting to miss a second of anything - and at no point did you feel as though you were waiting for the sole puppeteer to remove her hand from a puppet to put it into another one. 

All of the puppets and sets and props were gorgeously crafted, but what astounds is the complexity of how it all works and so seamlessly. I tried to follow how Krog moves from one side of the booth to another, removing her hand from one puppet, while still having the other visibly doing something onstage. It was impossible. The amount of rehearsal and design that has gone into this production makes it more remarkable than most. The booth is quite clearly one that works in any direction, and is lazy-susan style, allowing the performer to move quickly and easily from one section to another. Don’t ask me how. I’m still amazed at how it was done. The entire audience was completely entranced, and at 45 minutes, the show is definitely more-ish. Krog received three curtain calls, and quite easily could have gotten a standing ovation. 

My only bad comment is that I was sitting at the second row from the front, and at at least 150 seats strong in the venue, the 1m diameter stage/small booth windows, presented an eyesight problem. Those at the back could not have read the ‘Guest Stars’ sign that appeared on Diva’s stage; nor could the front rows, which were not raked and were below the stage, see the very top/floor of the Professor’s lab. The performance definitely deserves a large audience, but it does not suit a large venue. 

If you’re planning on seeing this show during the festival, I’m sorry but I went to the last showing of it. You’ll have to wait til next time or go to Denmark to see it. See more about Sofie Krog and her theatre here. (Oh, just found this quote in the media about the show: "… a transforming, revolving theatre featuring seven stages and twenty-one curtains. Everything can be moved, opened, closed, hoisted and lowered") 

My vote: (8 UNIMA stars out of 5… yes, it was that great it breaks my voting system!)

Tomorrow, the biggest puppet collection in the world - hopefully - free carnival day, meeting with people from Theatre Australia, and some more puppet shows to see! UPDATE: Read the next diary post here.

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