Demystifying the sorcery of cinema while capturing the magic of puppetry and animation.

In a world where kids are almost constantly glued to the screen – how does one keep them entertained in the theatre? By bringing the screen to the stage of course. That is the modus operandi of American company Manual Cinema, who creates films live onstage for their audiences, and in an almost Brechtian way, showcases all the cogs, wheels and inner workings of what goes on behind the scenes to help audience members appreciate the magic of cinema that much more.

In their new show, which made its Singapore premiere at the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the team adapts two works by children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems: Leonardo, The Terrible Monster and its sequel Sam, the Most Scaredy-cat Kid in the Whole World. Directed by Sarah Fornace, the story follows Leonardo – a monster who’s, well, terrible at being a monster, simply because he’s too adorable to scare anybody. When he encounters a boy who’s terrified of everything, perhaps he will finally find a way to put his unique circumstances to good use.

Guided by narrator Lily Emerson, Manual Cinema takes its audience into a colourful world, where everything is performed live and broadcast to a big screen. Audience members can choose to simply watch the screen, or turn their attention below it, where the cast are performing everything live in front of various cameras. With its inspiration being beloved children’s books, the show also takes on a storybook format, where there is live ‘animation’ performed by quick transitions and ingenious flipping of pages and paper cutouts.

At some point, this also transitions to live acting, where actors perform as the child characters, donning crafty wigs and costumes that are surprisingly accurate to the actual illustrations. These interactions and scenes are also especially fascinating, considering that the human actors are lipsyncing to Lily Emerson, including an improv segment utilising suggestions from the audience, while also utilising space and perception to create illusory tricks of the eye, and false distance between characters. Meanwhile, they are also accompanied by Muppet-like puppets of the monsters, well-made and brought to life by their skilful puppeteers’ manipulation and voices.

It helps of course, that Mo Willems’ story is also incredibly adorable, and even as an adult, you find yourself smiling along to the simple but effective moral of making friends and learning to channel one’s own strengths. Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter’s songs, performed by Lily Emerson, may be slightly complex and a little fast-paced in their lyrics for the younger kids to understand, but are charmingly composed to match the mood and atmosphere of the show. One only wishes that the venue choice might have been different, where the immersion and intimacy of a studio setting might have made the world of Leonardo even more impressive close-up, and all around.

Overall, the greatest takeaway from Manual Cinema’s feat of live film is in how it very well may inspire its young audience to try doing something similar, and show how plausible it is to make films simply by having fun, acting out stories, and making your own props and sets. There is a universality to the story that will be appreciated by audiences of all ages, and a keen commitment from the cast and crew, and understanding of how to appeal to this generation of children too often glued to screens, as they bring out the magic of theatre lovingly made by hand, and breathing new life into classic stories.

Photo Credit: Manual Cinema

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster played from 24th to 25th May 2024 at SOTA Drama Theatre as part of Singapore International Festival of Arts 2024. More information available here

SIFA 2024: They Declare runs from 17th May to 2nd June 2024 across various venues. Tickets and full programme available here

Production Credits:

Inspired by the works of Mo Willems Director Sarah Fornace Adaptation Sarah Fornace, Drew Dir Music, Lyrics & Sound Design Ben Kauffman, Kyle Vegter Puppet Design Drew Dir, Lizi Breit Costume & Wig Design Mieka Van der Ploeg Lighting Design Trey Brazeal with Nick Chamernik Dramaturg Megan Alrutz Tour Manager & Board Operator Maydi Díaz Original Cast Leah Casey (Kerry, Puppeteer), Lily Emerson (Narrator, Character Voices, Vocals), Julia Miller (Sam, Puppeteer), Lindsey Noel Whiting (Leonardo, Puppeteer) Additional Cast Sarah Fornace (Sam, Puppeteer), Anney Fresh (Leonardo, Puppeteer) Kevin Michael Wesson (Leonardo, Puppeteer), Shay Turnage (Kerry, Puppeteer) Understudy Ann Delaney (Narrator, Character Voices, Vocals)