Fictional puppet history showcases a myriad of forms, styles, and dark, adult-oriented humour that leaves a powerful sense of catharsis.

For so many people, death can be such a terrifying prospect because it seems so mysterious, so sudden, and most of all, inevitable. After all, nobody escapes death – not even puppets. But given that puppets never truly die, it stands to reason that they make a rather convenient source of pathos when we watch their untimely demise onstage, one that Canada’s Old Trout Puppet Workshop has leveraged on for over a decade now, with their signature heartbreaking work of puppet tragedy – Famous Puppet Death Scenes.

As its name suggests, Famous Puppet Death Scenes is a no holds barred Grand Guignol of puppets dying in countless ways, often melodramatic, violent and/or outright ridiculous. Some of these are shockers – in the opening scene, a puppet gets his head punched in when he least expects it (and becomes a running jokes throughout the show). Others may be a little more predictable, but nonetheless entertain and provoke open-mouthed gasps at how far the puppeteers are willing to go, with cruder puppets dry humping each other or penetrating each other with swords, or the piercing screams of a tree set aflame.

All of this is done through the aid of a massive booth, complete with smaller red velvet curtains, movable ‘arms’ that act as the theatre wings, and a rounded digital screen providing title cards, and audience reaction cues. Presenting itself as an education meets entertainment programme introducing audiences to a fictitious history of puppet theatre highlights, this also gives the show a means to showcase the sheer variety of forms puppets and puppet theatre can take.

From disturbing German children’s variety shows, to penny dreadfuls, Famous Puppet Death Scene provides a smorgasbord of styles from various cultures across the ages, and you never quite know what to expect in the next scene. Even the size and scale of puppets differ wildly, from figures no bigger than one’s palm, to life-sized puppets representing children, to a puppet so large, we can only see its blinking eye peeking out from behind the booth.

In that sense, there is always a sense of wonder in watching the rapid transformation of the set each time the curtains are drawn, deceptively simple yet almost always hiding some kind of surprise. Boxes open up and reveal miniature sets, or scenes you thought they were done with come back in unexpected ways, with fun cameos and throwbacks, or simply shock reactions that subvert our expectations, where we’re lured into a false sense of security and innocence before they follow up with something else completely brutal and bloody.

Most of all, credit has to go to performers Louisa Ashton, Aya Nakamura and Teele Uustani, who not only imbue the puppets with life, but also come out from behind the puppets as actors from time to time, showing off additional skills. From clowning to mask to physical comedy, all these serve to further add to the generous variety of performance styles. Whether it’s grossing us out as they tongue a toy, or watching their guts literally spill out, this dynamic trio keeps the energy up throughout the performance, and leaves audience members’ mouths agape at the sheer audacity.

While everything is done in good fun, ultimately there does exist an emotional thread that ties it all together – death. The outrageous deaths are sometimes punctuated by quieter, subtler deaths that create a powerful juxtaposition, prompting reflection and pathos in us on the subject. Death can happen in any number of ways, but through repeated exposure, uncomfortable laughter, and even the occasional tear, death is still a sombre topic for sure, but becomes just a little more bearable.

The beauty of Famous Puppet Death Scenes lies in the simultaneous safety of knowing that these puppets are actually immortal, coming to life each night only to meet their gruesome end once again, a kind of Sisyphean punishment that is both absurd and tragic. But in that moment of watching that little life snuffed out, we gain a moment of clarity and feel catharsis coursing through our bodies, knowing that precisely because death is so unpredictable, all the more should we live every moment to its fullest, just in case it might be our last.

Featured Image Credit: AD Zyne

Famous Puppet Death Scenes ran from 2nd to 4th June 2023 at the Esplanade Theatre Studio. More information available here

Read our interview with co-creator Pityu Kenderes here

Flipside 2023 ran from 26th May to 4th June 2023 at the Esplanade. Full programme available here