#i love the puppetry they did for all the spirits and characters in general

[voxofthevoid]

Hi Vox,

hope it's not too random a question haha but what do you think of the Gojo binding vow revival theory?

https://twitter.com/BIGDADDYGOJO/status/1730446669685121230

I've been asked whether I want to marry and if I'm into astrology. Trust me, anon, there's no such thing as random in these parts 😂

That tweet did not play nice with Firefox, but Chrome was useful for once.

And damn, that's from December!

Gojou using a binding vow to sacrifice his eyes or CT in some way has been a theory I've seen floated a lot on Reddit. I haven't seen this particular tweet before; some parts of it are good, but others are quite a stretch. I like the way they address how Gojou's death did his character arc dirty. Overall, I'd say the apparently one-eyed "spirit" at the end of JJK 260 matches the Twitter OP's central point. And Gojou returning in a less strong, more human state would make for a better character arc than death.

Personally, I never thought it was a matter of whether Gojou can feasibly return to life. He can, based on both the levels of survivable damage in JJK and his own established abilities. The execution of his return, whether it's actual resurrection or some puppetry bullshit, is what worries me; my concerns are laid out here.

Essentially, if Gojou comes back, how well can Gege work that into the plot in a way that (a) doesn't cheapen the plot progression after his death, (b) doesn't sideline the current generation, especially because Sukuna vs. Yuuji and co. (especially with Megumi trapped inside Sukuna) has a lot more emotional weight than Sukuna vs. Gojou did, and (c) doesn't do further disservice to Gojou himself? Regarding #3, I did not like that afterlife scene, but it ended with Gojou seemingly at peace with his death. What changed? How and why did it change?

I can see possible angles for it, but it'd have to be some stellar writing. If Gege's actually angling to show what Gojou is or could be once stripped of the mantle of the strongest in a way that's integrated well into the current plotline, I'll be all for it! Seriously, I'd love that. Make this work, and I'll eat that shit up.

If it's some bait-and-switch, I will be spitting fire. If it's writing on par with 236, I will...certainly not be happy.

[brundleflyforawhiteguy]

What makes Puppet Master so great?

I can't quite tell if this is a "wow, how is it this rad?" or "why do you never shut up about this?" or the middle-of-the-road "I don't see the appeal" type of question so I'll kind of answer each.

The reason I'm not shutting up about it, right now especially, is that I've been writing a book on the entire franchise for three years without much to show for it, a lot of starts and stops and hard work and wondering if it would ever even get finished. Now Puppet Master Complete: A Franchise History is actually coming out and there's pre-orders at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. so I'm both starting to actively promote it and just overwhelmed with relief that it's finally happening. Almost as much as that, though, is the fact that NECA has released new Puppet Master toys that are stunning and are in stores like Target, something I never thought possible, which has tapped into the childhood fan in me, for whom these puppets, movies, and the original toys were my number one childhood obsession.

But to get into the deeper question, I'll tell you right now, that's a big one. It's a lot to unpack. the first three words of the introduction to the book are "Why Puppet Master?" And I think there are a lot of reasons. For me, it was love at first sight literally the first time I saw the designs of the puppets. Both the way the characters look and the stop-motion and puppetry effects by David Allen Productions are probably the biggest reason we're still talking about these little guys so many years later. But there's a lot I think that makes the franchise, and those early films, special. There aren't many, if any other, horror franchises where your iconic characters can be the heroes or villains from movie-to-movie. And as a kid, and even now, I loved that they weren't inherently bad. They were the first "monsters" I ever saw that let the protagonists go at the end of the movie and killed the larger villain. Then a few movies later, they're the full-blown heroes and they've pretty much been that ever since. The early movies are all wildly different from one another in a way they don't get enough credit for. Sometimes even different genres outright. The first is a deeply Italian influenced, almost giallo-esque movie, the second is a dyed-in-the-wool gothic Universal throwback, the third is a war movie, the fourth and fifth are fantasy/sci-fi.

Looking at a larger scale though, it is amazing that this series exists in 2021. Like, holy shit. It is the most resilient horror franchise in the world. It was designed, specifically, to cater to video stores. That was the function of the first movie, both as a film in general and as the first film from Full Moon. This franchise was specifically designed to cater to a booming video store market and it outlived video stores. In 1997, it received its own action figure series which was even wild at the time, because it was a straight-to-video horror movie series that had been around less than a decade. Getting these characters in comic shops, Suncoast, was wild enough, but then they eventually reached Spencer's and KB. And now, two decades later, there are figures again! And they're in Target! They're everywhere! That feels impossible, that should not exist. A few years ago, it got a comic series. A straight-to-video series got a comic that lasted for almost 30 issues! This is unreal stuff. And it’s a great comic, too.

Puppet Master is also, essentially, the only horror franchise that is inherently Jewish. Christian themes and iconography play into horror a lot and are still incredibly popular. And there are plenty of great horror movies that deal with Jewish themes and symbols, but I think Puppet Master is the only film series defined by those themes. Admittedly, they’re set up most prominently in the third entry with the reveal that the puppets are inhabited by the souls of Jewish victims of the Nazis, taking revenge on their oppressors. There is a deeply ingrained notion of post-war survivor’s guilt, perfectly embodied by this image of an old man who literally carries his dead friends with him wherever he goes. Even the original movie sets it up right in the opening scene, with the puppet master Toulon shooting himself and hiding his puppets away before the Nazis can get their hands on them.

And yet at the same time, it’s still just a fun and quirky B-Movie series, wildly ambitious for straight-to-video, and it’s never really lost that creative spirit even as the budgets have drastically shrank over the years. It’s been through a lot of ups and downs, and the budgetary lows are smaller than most other franchises. But there’s still so much that resonates, from the themes, to the concept and without a doubt most importantly, the puppets themselves. There is no other franchise like it. It’s been through at least three or four things that would have killed any other franchise and even though the movies are now made for pennies and shot in four days, it’s alive and (somehow) thriving, in some ways it’s stronger than it’s ever been. I really couldn’t articulate why I loved it when I started writing that book, but now it’s something I think about a lot. I am grateful it’s still here, grateful for getting to grow up with it, and so excited for all the new fans who are going to see those toys on Target shelves and fall head over heels, just like I did.

[a-pirate-my-hearties]

Brotherhood of the Wolf (a review? Furious posting? Who knows? I know that film is 19 years old but anyway, #spoilers ahead). Buckle up for a long post!

Yesterday I watched “Brotherhood of the Wolf” for the first (and probably last) time. It definitely looked like my type of thing - period drama, XVIII century, horror elements, I knew some of the cast are good actors, so I decided to give it a try.

According to Wikipedia:

“Brotherhood of the Wolf (French: Le Pacte des loups) is a 2001 French period action horror film[3][4] directed by Christophe Gans, co-written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel, and starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Émilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. The story takes place in 18th-century France, where the Chevalier de Fronsac and Mani of the Iroquois tribe are sent to investigate the mysterious slaughter of hundreds by an unknown creature in the province of Gévaudan. The plot is loosely based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and the famous legend of the beast of Gévaudan; parts of the film were shot at Château de Roquetaillade. The film has several extended swashbuckling fight scenes, with martial arts performances by the cast mixed in, making it unusual for a historical drama. The special effects for the creature are a combination of computer generated imagery, as well as puppetry and animatronics designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.”

So while the martial arts (of which I’m a big fan, everyone who knows me well knows that) and animatronics seemed atypical for such a film, I decided to watch anyway. And it was good fun while it lasted (2 and a half hour is waaay too long, by the way, at least for my taste), but then I was finished, which left me sleep deprived (now I know it wasn’t that worth it), and so it begins.

There’s too much of everything stuffed into that film. Swashbuckling fight scenes, period drama, horror, Gothic themed scenes (and a lot of them, which made my little creepy heart happy), martial arts, Native American rituals and beliefs, an animatronic beast (??? I mean, at least they could have made it CGI, for crying out loud), a dangerous religious sect, and way too much unnecessary violence towards innocent wolves (I know they weren’t innocent in the eyes of those who killed them, but the film makers could at least decide not to show it explicitly). So much going.

And I’m fuming, because it could have been so easily a wonderful Gothic horror kind of film! With better writing and less fiddling about the plot it could have been something like “Jane Eyre” or "Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", or “Crimson Peak”, but no. Nooo. They had to make it sell, hence a lot of special effects and unnecessary (in my eyes) fight scenes.

So what did we have that could have made “Brotherhood of the Wolf” a great, believable Gothic horror piece of cinema?

the protagonist (Grégoire de Fronsac) and his loyal, mysterious friend (Mani), that is much more interesting than the protagonist really (and is a Native American from the Iroquois tribe, who possesses magic powers? He’s got that powerful connection with nature and spirits. Idk how that’s supposed to fit into the Gothic, but eh, Mani was an awesome character and I’m not going to let him out of this)

the feisty heroine (Marianne de Morangias)

the disabled/disfigured antagonist with tragic past ( Jean-François de Morangias, THANK YOU VINCENT CASSEL)

the mysterious, badass courtesan (bowing down to Monica Belucci for this one)

the horror story AND the space for the horror that’s unravelling (the beast killing people in the province of Gévaudan, the province itself + the castle)

the (almost tragic) love story (de Fronsac + Marianne)

the duality of good and evil (kinda) in one character (Jean-François being all cute and easy on the eyes and more-less civil before he reveals his disfigurations to Marianne and oh boy. I’d love to say Jekyll&Hyde, but it wasn’t a thing until 1886, so let’s say a two-face kind of situation, because doppelgänger would be a stretch here.)

incest/incestous attraction -  (I know, it’s fucking horrible, but it was quite common in XIX century literature  - vide writings of François-René de Chateaubriand (for example René , 1805), and, unfortunately, in life, so you can look up Byron and his sister, and it was used in “Crimson Peak” as well

a lot of sexy banter and intellectual talk in general (one should never underestimate the tension it creates!)

Draw Me Like One Of Your French Girls™ 

So yeah, this sums up more less what could have been...

Now what went wrong.

Grégoire de Fronsac is boring. Just plain boring, at least in my eyes. I appreciate that he went straight up berserk to avenge Mani though. That was Good Shit.

Marianne de Morangias. Feisty and stubborn, yes. Intelligent, without a doubt. Sensitive, still a bit naive and putting on a shield because she’s growing up in an unfavourable environment. But I have a feeling that she wasn’t exactly written well enough and she’s ends up being at least a bit of an annoying, privileged, poutty child. So there’s that, maybe I’m nitpicking.

Jean-François de Morangias. Simply a wasted character, because Vincent Cassel’s acting was GORGEOUS. He could have been a great antagonist/villain if given a chance, and it was ruined by too much protagonist, running around aimlessly, swashbuckling and kicking through the scenes. Him being the commander of the beast wasn’t explained well enough (because the beast had a commander). And they ended up giving Jean-François the weirdest weapon in the final fight with de Fronsac, which ruined his image entirely and just. Didn’t stick, just what the fuck was that? What the fuck was that nunchaku-sword made of bones????

That beast. It was just laughable. I’m sorry, I was sympathizing the fuck with it, it was a tortured animal put into heavy armour and trained to kill, but just. Wtf was that armour?? Who made that thing and decided it was good to put that into the film???

Too much martial arts, again. What was that for?

I feel like, besides Mani, most of the Native American/POC were depicted in a racist manner, like they weren’t even talking, just fighting, drinking, partying, not talking AT ALL most of the time but growling at each other or others, laughing like maniacs, acting agressive, like animals, even the sexual behaviours shown on the screen were vulgar. I don’t know if it was supposed to show POC through the lens of the white people of that time, but it was awful anyway.

Scenes pointlessly fading one into the other. Probably made to look artistic. Didn’t make sense most of the time.

The plot was full of holes. Just wear a bullet-proof vest next time.

If I can sum this up in any way... Watch it for the beautiful pictures, music, costumes, Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci and Mark Dacascos. And don’t  expect too much from the plot.

[lanonima]

I was thinking about this recently for no particular reason so...these are my top ten favorite animated movies of all time (vaguely in order but not really in order)

disclaimer: these are movies that I think have it all - great story, great characters, great music, great animation, great design, great emotional impact. I love tons and tons and tons of animated movies but these are really my top tier, movies that I think about all the time, and movies that I would watch over and over again.

1: The Legend of Hei

This movie kills me. It hasn’t even been out for a year and I’ve watched it seven times. I desperately want it to be released on DVD here so that I may possess it for myself. I think about this movie all the goddamn time. I love it so much it makes me want to cry, I just get so emotional. This is for me the best animated movie to come out since Kubo. The story is great, the characters are great, the animation is beautiful. Please release this in America so I can buy it, I’m begging.

2: Kubo and the Two Strings

The skill level behind this movie absolutely blows me away, the designs are amazing...the aunts are so creepy in the best possible way. The set pieces are incredible. Also it’s a story about stories and I’m always a big queer for that kind of thing.

3: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

This is a great movie. I grew up watching it, I still watch it constantly and when I’m not watching it I’m probably listening to the OST. When they do my autopsy in the future, they’ll find the script and lyrics to this movie carved into my bones. I also love, love, love the way they treated the villain in this movie (and same goes for Rango which did not make it on this list) where he ends up letting them go out of respect. Something little like that can add so much depth and interest to a character and I don’t expect to see it, especially in kids movies.

4: Sing

People never talk about this movie?? I don’t think it got very good advertising but this is a fucking fantastic movie. The story is so cute, and I love literally every character. Every character is so good, every story line is so good, and they avoid so many cliches that I hate. I constantly go on Youtube and watch the clips from Johnny and Ash’s songs because they’re so GOOD. Johnny’s song is probably my second favorite animated music clip of all time (the first being 'I’m Holding out for a Hero” from Shrek 2 which is really hard to beat).

5: Princess Mononoke

Despite the rather lackluster dub and the fact that I never even saw it until I was in high school, this is my favorite Miyazaki movie hands down. Very much my kind of story, and I love the characters so much. The animation and design are also amazing.

6: Song of the Sea

I’m a sucker for selkies, every single time. And this movie is so cute and the animation is so fucking gorgeous. It’s so great just to watch. Also very much my kind of story in regards to the theme about emotions.

7: Long Way North

This is such a quiet, interesting movie. Not one that gets a lot of press but I find the story to be very moving and the animation to be unique and beautiful. The color scheme is so relaxed and relatively muted compared to the emotional investment of the characters and the ending is so gentle for being something so tragic. Ah, just a great movie.

8: Into the Spiderverse

Of course this is on here. I don’t generally like superheroes, but this is still one of the most technically stunning animated movies I’ve ever seen. I highly enjoyed it.

9: Megamind

‘I don’t like superheroes’ I say, as two of the movies on this list are superhero movies. Man, this movie just came out at the wrong time. All around great movie, also extremely funny, and great music choices.

10: The Book of Life

Another just great, fun movie, but also another source on my list of ‘greatest animated songs’. ‘Toro’ just blows me away with how beautiful it is, and the animation that accompanies it. I love really stylized, interesting animation so this of course fits the bill. There are a few parts that I think are too cheesy, but overall I still really love it.

Honorable mentions go out to those series of animated movies that I love but it wouldn’t be fair to include them on this list because there are too many:

Shrek, Ice Age, Kung Fu Panda, and...also Madagascar, begrudgingly because King Julian drives me fucking insane but I love everything else about them.

Also, a shout out to the second Thunderbolt Fantasy movie because if claymation is on here than puppetry can be on here too. It’s not on this list because it’s not as solid as most of these since it’s part of a show and doesn’t necessarily stand alone but I love it so much.

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Child’s Play (2019)

Well it’s Friday, so that means another classic horror franchise is getting rebooted. This time it’s Child’s Play - you know, the one about the spirit of a serial killer that gets trapped inside a talking doll and terrorizes the neighborhood? Well, serial killer spirits are SO 1991, so the 2019 version has updated it to a “smart” doll capable of operating all your wireless devices and there’s no supernatural mumbo jumbo going on here - just a disgruntled factory worker pushing back at unjust labor laws by removing all the safety protocols in ONE doll and shipping it off far away. You know, as most labor disputes get resolved. So Chucky (voice of Mark Hamill) comes to be best friends with Andy (Gabriel Bateman) and soon starts disposing of anyone he believes might be compromising their friendship. I think we all remember how upsetting it was when our Teddy Ruxpins started to do the same thing. So is this AI bringing in a new wave of “smart” horror reboots? Well...

God I hope not. It’s a mess. There’s some ok stuff in here, but wow I have a lot of questions for the director, the screenwriter, and the design team.

This is the worst character design I’ve ever seen. His eyes are both too big to be like a standard doll, but too small to be in the Bratz or anime-type range. Also, he suffers from the Jack Nicholson problem. For as brilliant as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is, its casting is truly epically terrible. Jack Nicholson looks crazier than a shithouse rat at the very beginning of the film, making his descent into madness feel a little less like a descent and more like a very level straight line that you could use to hang a picture frame. Same thing with ol Chucky blue eyes here. He looks so uncanny valley creepy right from the get go that when he goes full murder spree it’s like “oh no he’s...doing exactly what his face indicated he would be doing this whole time who could have possibly predicted.” I’m all for the use of animatronic puppetry over CGI but...I just feel like the design here really missed the mark. 

I’m sorry, I’m just so pissed at the inciting incident for this whole thing. Why would your revenge against your shitty boss be to remove all the safety protocols from a microchip going into a device that is shipping halfway across the world from you? What’s the endgame here? Seriously. THE most plausible line of reasoning is “This doll will malfunction and cost this company I hate working for $39.95.” Well, that doesn’t impact your shitty boss. The only OTHER plausible line of reasoning is “This is going to make a murder doll that will malfunction and kill people on the other side of the globe.” That STILL doesn’t impact your shitty boss AND it means this guy is a total sociopath with a diabolical scheme on a level Chucky can’t even dream of. Why isn’t the movie actually about him???

It’s weird to see Aubrey Plaza playing a mom but I kind of love her snark being melded with maternal instinct here. Although, honestly, she does feel more like Andy’s big sister than his mom. 

As for Andy (Gabriel Bateman), he’s actually a really solid leading man in this. Even when he has to break down into hysterics over Chucky’s bad behavior, his performance never veers into whiny or shrill. He’s got a lot of charisma and plays Andy as a fundamentally sweet kid who maybe just doesn’t have many friends because he hangs out with his mom and sucked into the vortex of his phone too much. I was impressed, because he has to carry 80% of the movie by himself talking to an animatronic Annabelle.

I will say, Chucky’s horrible design aside, Mark Hamill does a phenomenal job as the voice of Chucky. Even when he’s repeating the same phrases over and over again, he injects a level of pathos and humanity into Chucky that’s really impressive. I know this isn’t a controversial opinion, but he really is maybe the best living voice actor of our time.

Full disclosure, there is some violence done to a cat that is very distressing, not once but TWICE. The cat dies :( And it’s particularly egregious because not only do you get faked out once thinking “oh this cat is gonna be ok” but THEN after the gruesome part, Chucky uses the sounds of the cat to emotionally torture Andy and the audience. That shit is fucked up.

Um, I’m not sure what lack of googling this screenwriter, Tyler Burton Smith, did but these literal children are not millenials, they are generation Z, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

The tone is wildly uneven. It’s not funny enough to be a horror comedy, and it’s not really scary, just jump scares and being creeped out by Chucky’s fucking face. Also, the film can’t decide if we’re meant to feel bad for Chucky being a victim of his programming and his shitty preteen masters showing him a bunch of campy slasher movies OR if we’re meant to be scared of him because he’s a murderous monster doing things of his own free will. 

Why are there watermelons in this man’s yard? And the line “a white guy dead in a watermelon patch - poetic” ... what fucking poetry are you reading? Listen, I have two degrees in English literature, and I don’t remember Samuel Taylor Coleridge ever writing anything about any fucking watermelons.

Another weird choice - the movie is pretty gory but not in a fun or campy way. I think sometime around 2010, movies lost the ability to do buckets of blood in a fun way? I know that sounds fucked up, but this isn’t campy or silly, it’s just kind of gross - both trying to be gleeful and also taken way too seriously. At first, when it’s only super pervy or abusive dudes that are getting whacked, it’s like, ok, there’s a comeuppance factor here, this is gross but fine. But then it starts extending to characters that have done nothing wrong and that we’ve been pushed to love and empathize with. So then it feels a lot less fine but still very gross. 

One major highlight - I will watch Brian Tyree Henry in anything. He’s just so so good at everything, and this is no exception.

Also - BTH plays a detective and Andy is literally trying to hide evidence made of human remains in the detective’s apartment. For dayyyyys. Let that sink in. Do you think that shit doesn’t smell?? And he keeps disposing of evidence and things he doesn’t want to deal with in the trash chute of his own building. Where the detective also hangs out. There are other dumpsters, my dude!

If you’re making a murderous doll movie and a guy who looks like Jack Black (Trent Redekop) perving around in a basement is the creepiest thing that happens, that’s probably not a good sign.

Speaking of Not Jack Black, everything in his death sequence makes no sense. Why would you stand on a table saw to get away from literally anything? Why would your table saw have a “smart” functionality? Take this as a warning kids, if Google starts making smart table saws, that’s when we draw the line.

There is one (1) cute dog, and Chucky is uninterested in him. He escapes the movie unscathed and appears to be a Very Good Boy.

Did I Cry? Fucking no, oh my god, not at all. 

This is just a real uneven mess. Some performances shine amidst the terrible material (BTH, Mark Hamill, Gabriel Bateman) but overall, I had a lot more fun with the playfully wicked marketing campaign (coming out the same day as Toy Story 4, the film leaned into the gag by creating a series of posters depicting some gruesome ends to our favorite Toy Story characters, with Chucky being responsible). If this had been more comedy, less uneven revenge porn, this might have had a fighting chance at being something really interesting. As in most things, though, I have to advise you stick to the original.

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[buri-art]

First of all, I would like to blame Kusanagi-sensei for the extra dose of dragon crack she gave us this week.  Second, I blame @taotrooper​, particularly for the “Ventrilokija” pun, but for more than that. Believe it or not, this all started because of Jaeha in the rose vines.  Most of all, I blame myself.  Read on if you dare (and if you like Muppets, that will probably help). 

____    A successful day at the market led to a smattering of goods in return for medicinal herbs, among them was a bolt of thick black fabric. Yoon held it up to the light; it had a pretty blue sheen but wasn't sturdy enough for patching clothes, nor was it big enough to make anything wearable. Still, it piqued Yoon's creativity, and after setting aside tomorrow's breakfast, folding the dry laundry, tallying expenses, and prepping the tent for bed, he worked at it with a needle and thread.    He trusted his good sense and finished the arms in the dark, but in the morning, he was disappointed to see that they had turned too long and wonky, and if he put his hand inside to maneuver them, they sagged lifelessly The project was less fun now, but since he had already gotten so far, Yoon was determined to finish it with a smooth, broad mouth.   Kija found him hard at work with the mysterious object. "Yoon, what is that?"

  "It's a puppet," replied Yoon, "Or at least it was supposed to be."

  "A... What?"    "You really were sheltered, weren't you? It's a toy performers use to make a little character."     Yoon slipped it on to demonstrate, and as the object flapped what was now clearly a mouth and appendages, Kija reeled back on his heels and yelped, "It lives!"    "No, it doesn't," he rolled his eyes. "Performers who practice enough can even give them voices. They'd make the movements a lot smoother than this too."    Kija drew closer, still fascinated. "Where are its eyes?"    "I still have to make them. They should be expressive, but I'm not sure how they should look."    "Make them like Shin-ah's eyes! They're very expressive."    Yoon took this advice, but, having never done this before he wasn't very good at it the first time. The results were wide, buggy peepers on either side of the puppet's noggin with slitted pupils, and Yoon found them so unnerving that he thought it prudent to add art to the short list of things he could not do. Kija remained fascinated, and since he liked it so much, Yoon gave it to him.    "Zeno! Look at this puppet Yoon made!"    "Oh, that's a cute try. Let's give him a go," the yellow dragon smiled widely and slipped it on. Without moving his face, he made the puppet dance and sing, "Hello! I'm a puppet!"   Kija flushed and squealed. "That's amazing!"    "Zeno's fingers don't fit the arms. Here, Hakuryuu may be better at it, you try."    So he did. By evening, Kija had gotten the hang of animating the puppet in time with the words he gave it, and he was eager to show everyone around the campfire.    "Everyone, look! See what Yoon made!"    "Oh? What might that be?" Jaeha sauntered over, and with one glance he jolted backwards into a tree. Kija, still wanting to give him a better look, kept the puppet on one finger and stretched his arm out to him. Jaeha looked up as it loomed closer with its head drooping upside down to the right. Jaeha screamed, and then turned and clung to the tree while hiding his face. Trying to recover he dignity, he asked, "Ki--Kija-kun, doesn't that... you know, lack a particular artistry?"    Yoon sighed from the ground and in his heart agreed. "Don't make him look at it if he doesn't want to, Kija."    "What is it?" Yona approached, her arms filled with twigs for the fire. Kija pulled his arm back and filled the full anatomy of the puppet with his fingers again, and he made it give Yona a slight bow. She lit up, dropped the twigs, and reached out to pinch its cheeks."How cute! A puppet!"    "You like it?" he beamed.    "What's his name?"    "The Dark Dragon," answered Hak, behind her.    "No!" snapped Kija, "It has expressive eyes like Shin-ah, not evil eyes like yours! Why don't you name it, Princess?"   "Hhm," she placed a finger to her lips and thought a moment. "Seiboo." ---   Under Zeno's tutelage, Kija practiced his art form every day.   "Well, if he gets better, that'll help with the traveling performers facade," Yoon said.    "If," Hak added.    Yona elbowed him. "Let him have fun."     "That is not a good idea," Jaeha said quickly. "That is not a good idea," he repeated, more fervently.

----    The Happy Hungry Bunch met Kalgan one day in the market and escorted him back to Kai. On their first break it was clear that Kalgan wasn't feeling well, and Kija thought he'd try to make him feel better by having the puppet tell jokes. "Hello," he and the puppet said. Kalgan stared, and he went on. "Do you know what's grey and bad for your teeth? A rock."    "Your mouth is moving, you suck."    "Ssh!" Yona hushed him. "Don't hurt his confidence."     Alas, the damage had been done, Kija did not take the puppet out of his bag again for a while. Granted, falling sick almost immediately after that, fighting soldiers at the border and suffering injury, many distracting revelations about Zeno, and a hurried journey back to Kouka to recover were worthy excuses for dropping off his puppetry practice. There were rarely dull moments for the Happy Hungry Bunch, for as soon as they all started feeling back to full health, a wicked spirit possessed Shin-ah. After using Shin-ah to attack the others, the specter kidnapped Zeno for some vile purpose.     Kija was particularly anxious for Shin-ah, as it must had been scary to act against his own will. Almost like he was a... ----    Once Kija and Jaeha were at last able to break through the underground cavern and find their fellow dragons, Kija approached that angry spirit inside of Shin-ah without the slightest hesitation. "Return my little brother," he demanded it. "If you want someone to possess..."    Shin-ah and the spirit inside of him started to cover away, shook by Kija's will and the white aura surrounding him.   "Possess this puppet." ----    Seiboo, as they continued to call him, was an odd new addition to the already odd bunch. Kija held him carefully from the inside of his hollow cloth body and showed him to everyone like someone shows a scared pet hamster to group of crowding, curious children.    "Go away! Don't touch me!" it snapped and tried to wriggle fruitlessly from Kija's grasp. It painlessly clamped down on Zeno's fingers and shook its whole puppet body; Jaeha excused himself to go lie down, Shin-ah stroked its head, and Zeno laughed until it spat out his fingers. "Do not ridicule me! This body is merely a means to an end to get out of my tomb!"    "Shush, you already used Shin-ah for that and then went back," Yoon glowered at it.     "I think it's cute," Yona giggled, and the puppet relaxed.     That gave Zeno a chance to slip it off Kija's hand. "Give Zeno a try."    He put it on, but the puppet immediately popped off with a cackle. "Hahahaha!" it howled as it bounced across the ground. "You cannot fool me, Ouryuu, you are weak!"    "Ah! Seiboo's getting away!"    "Pukkyuu!"    Shin-ah caught up to it and slipped it over his hand.     "Phew. Good job, Seiryuu!"     Although Shin-ah did not lose his grip, he was yanked around by his arm with such force that his body was like a cracking whip. Hak rose to his aid and wrestled it down, and with its mouth clamped shut, the puppet made aggravated muffles.    Yona frowned. "Looks like Kija's the only one strong enough to handle him.”    "I'll try," Hak said. He slipped it off of Shin-ah's arm and onto his own. The puppet struggled with all its felty might, but Hak maintained a firm grip and manipulated its mouth as he said flatly, "Hi, I'm the Dark Dragon." "Blasphemy!" Seiboo spat out, using an extra burst of anger to shake free of Hak's fingers up its head. "There's no such thing as a Dark Dragon!"   Kija beamed with pride. 

----    Life went on about as strangely as it did before.      "The first order of business today is for Zeno to go get new clothes," announced Yoon as they headed into a Water Tribe market. "And if you ruin another outfit, you get to wear straw like a barbarian."    "Aw, lad, it's just the sleeve this time. Zeno can wear Seiboo!"     "I am not a fashion accessory! I am a vengeful dragon!"     "You do cover up the dragon hand well, though," Hak observed. "You should have done the puppet thing all along, White Snake."    "White Snake?" Seiboo perked up, then hissed out a quiet laugh with its mouth wide open.     Kija didn't notice. "Oh! That would have been a good idea to keep our cover, wouldn't it?"     "What cover?" Yoon grumbled. With a red-haired princess turned pirate and bandit, a former general, a man with an oddly shaped hand, Shin-ah, a flying man in Kai clothes, a giddy immortal, a beautiful boy genius, a squirrel too animated for her own good, and now a rabid puppet, it was a wonder Kouka hadn't set the armies on them yet.  ----    Everyone ran the errands they were supposed to, and Zeno returned with a nicer outfit that Yoon expected. "Zeno! How did you afford that?"     "A couple of lovely big sisters paid for it."    As soon as the two lady bodyguards appeared, Seiboo burst out, "Since when do you know some sexy chicks like them?"     "Seiboo!" Kija clamped his mouth shut and scolded him with his left index finger. "That was inappropriate!"     Seiboo gained control of what would be said were his lips. "I know knock-outs when I see them!"    "Stop!"    Tetora burst out laughing; Ayura clapped. "Ooh, very impressive ventriloquism."    "Ahaha! I never--ahahah--never thought he was capable of say--saying---ahahaha--ow, OW--"     "Tetora, sit down!"     "Owwww." ----    They hurried Tetora back to her inn to rest, and there Lili told them about the drug smuggling and human trafficking matter she was investigating. Neither was a new sort of matter to the Happy Hungry Bunch, and they agreed to help. At the festival that evening the four dragons, one squirrel, and one former-dragon possessed puppet put on an impressive impression of traveling performers with their stacked musical juggling tower. Jaeha, sitting on Kija's shoulder, lifted the flute to his mouth, but stole a glance down to his right thigh first, where the puppet grimly stared up at him.    "What?" the puppet asked. "You gonna play or not?"     "I'm playing," he said and began.     "I could play that better than you if I had lungs. I could play that better than you if I had your lungs. Give me your lungs."   Jaeha played louder to drown him out.  ----    Yona was kidnapped. Seiboo was not pleased. Seiboo yelled at everyone that it was their fault. No one argued back, so Seiboo stopped yelling. It sucked when no one argued back.    It noticed Shin-ah was especially quiet and thought to offer comfort, but it could think of nothing to say. It rested its soft felt body in his lap and piped down for the night.  ----    When they split up, Seiboo went with Kija, Shin-ah, Hak, and Yoon. It was hard work out there, even for a puppet. When the guards offered them wine, Seiboo snagged it, downed it, and soaked himself through. It had no affect on him, but the idea that he could get drunk was cathartic. One of tired captives who saw this laughed, and Seiboo felt something odd bubble up inside its ghostly spirit.    Seiboo announced, "I can drink more than that!" and it stole all the other glasses in Kija's wide reach and downed them all before anyone else had a chance to. Kija scolded Seiboo that the people where thirsty, but the people were laughing, so Seiboo threw back its head and let out a hearty laugh too.  ----    Seiboo tried to be cooperative because it was anxious about finding Yona, but when the time came to stop being cooperative and destroy the fort, it relished the change. Tossing ammo into catapults made the little puppet feel powerful, and it was starting to look like a good day to find Yona.     Instead they found Soowon.    Bummer.     The soldiers the young king brought along even laughed and made fun of the dragons, what jerks. If only it had use of a body with Seiryuu eyes, it'd paralyze them all.      Soowon did not particularly notice the puppet on Kija's engorged finger, nor did he seem to notice the general attitude of the Sky Tribe soldiers, nor how far Tetora's jaw had fallen and the difficulty she was having putting it back in place. The young king's eyes lit up at the sight of the shimmering white scales, and unperturbed by the two dragons' defensive stance, he approached. "Can I touch your hand?" he asked.     CHOMP, Seiboo replied.     The king was a little perturbed.     "Stop that!" Kija drew him away. "Show some--"     "Respect? For the guy who doesn't have red hair parading around as the king?"      "I was going to say 'restraint.'"    "I see how you feel, then," said Soowon, turning away. "I didn't want any dragons anyway."    "Good."    "Seiboo," said Shin-ah, "Why did you do that?"     "You're right, that was dumb of me. I have no teeth. I should try possessing the squirrel."    Shin-ah held her tight and Kija held Seiboo back. Tetora, who thrust her jaw back to its proper place with a snap, felt a little pale and questioned the sanity of Yona's companions. The previously jeering soldiers looked on quietly. "They're weirder than I thought," one said.     "I'm a little scared."    Seiboo popped in the soldiers' line of sight over Kija's shoulder, and looked straight at them (with its nose, as opposed to with its eyes that focused in different directions). "Good," it said.  ----    They got Yona back, and everything felt right in Seiboo's world again, apart from its degrading possession of a puppet.     "Stop," it pleaded flatly. Its back was covered with shot and tears, as Kija had used it as a handkerchief.     "Ah!! Seiboo, I'm so sorry! I'll go scrub you off--"     "No---" Yoon and Jaeha both sprang to stop him. Both were startled to see that Jaeha had tried to intervene, and they stopped and starred at each other with their arms stuck in the air toward Kija and Seiboo.      Seeing Yoon and Jaeha stuck in mid-rescue, Seiboo felt an odd tickle of something... Something it never understood, or at least had not understood in a long time. Fondness? Gratitude?     It looked to Shin-ah. It looked to Yona. It looked to Zeno, and Ao, and Kija, and Hak. Maybe it was just its fabric, but it felt fuzzy.     "No, it's fine," Kija turned for the river. "I'll wash him."    "AAAAAAHHH!" Seiboo threw its head back, shook it, and wailed. "Save meeeee!"      No, that odd feeling had to have been indigestion. ----    For reasons, the Happy Hungry Bunch had a bunch of alcohol. And, for reasons, Yoon wanted to know which was more unbreakable when used against the other, Ryokuryuu’s leg or Hakuryuu’s hand.     “Jaeha, why are you looking away?”     “Um, er, no, Kija-kun, I--”     “Put me on his foot! Put me on his foot! I want to find out too.”     Yoon narrowed his eyes at the puppet. “You’d get smashed in the process.”     “Would I? See, there in lies the secret. In this form, I am even more powerful than Ouryuu.”    This made everyone a little curious, and Yoon asked what everyone else was thinking. “How?” 

   “I am impervious to pain!” 

   Zeno sat back, smiled, and sipped his liquor. He wasn’t touching that.     Jaeha appreciated the diversion. “Now, speaking of contests, weren’t we about to drink--”    “Now, now, now, wait a moment,” Seiboo and Kija’s hand drifted back to Jaeha’s shoulder. “Looks like someone here is worried about a little pain after all.” 

   “It’s... not exactly my hobby or anything. I don’t want to break.”    Kija perked up. “Then you admit defeat?” 

   “Now, I didn’t say--”     Seiboo cackled. “Your powers are worth nothing! All that senseless prancing and smashing, but you’ve never tasted the terror in someone’s mind as you pinch their heart to a--”     “That’s it, I’m out,” Jaeha said, then joined Zeno for some casual drinking.   

   “He admits defeat,” Kija made Seiboo face him. He was smiling with flushed cheeks and his left hand was curled up in a victory fist by his face.     Seiboo stared a moment--a long, cold moment. “Give me to Shin-ah.”     Kija did as he was asked, and Shin-ah, with Seiboo on his right hand, sat down next to Yona. She poured a cup for Shin-ah, which Seiboo snagged and poured down itself. Seiboo then wiggled with its mouth wide open in the arm as it laughed. Kija turned back to scold. “Hey! You be good to Shin-ah, understand?” 

   Seiboo wiggled its lips(?) and made a soft sound of fabric rubbing against fabric. This was meant to be the sound and expression of it sticking its tongue out at Kija, but no one could tell, and then went on with their night. Kija joined Jaeha, Hak, and Zeno, and Yona poured Shin-ah another glass, which Seiboo allowed him to have. Seiboo then turned to Yona. “Your turn.”     “Don’t mind if I do,” she smiled, and three of the biggest mouthfuls she could muster, she swallowed on cup of the potent liquor, and then took a loud breath. Seiboo the back of its head against her arm. “Teh heh, that tickles.”     “I like you.”     “You’ve gotten so honest, Seiboo, it’s sweet.”     “Pukkyuu!”

   “You’re sweet too, Ao.” 

   “Hmm. I guess I like the squirrel too. Squirrel, your turn.” 

   Yona poured another cup, and Ao lapped it down in seconds flat. Not to be outdone, Seiboo splashed its not cup down itself like it was in a race with gravity, and then it snapped for Yona to hurry and give Shin-ah his next cup. Yona took hers after that, and with Seiboo’s cheering, she chugged it faster.    The poor kids, they got wasted fast. Except for Seiboo. “Hey, Shin-ah.” 

   “...Y...Yes...?”     “Seiryuu eyes sure are cool, aren’t they?” 

   “...Uh huh.”    “Maybe you should---”     “They’re preeeeeetttyyyy,” smiled Yona.     Seiboo swung back to face her and stammered. “You--you really think so?” 

   “Uh huhhhhh!” she threw her arms around the puppet and Shin-ah’s forearm. “Nee, Seiboo?”      “Um... yes?”     “Seiiibooooo? You--hic--you listening?”     “I’m listening.”     “I’m sorr... rry you had to wait ‘n the dark so long.” 

   She rested her face on Seiboo’s head and dozed off a moment. Seiboo felt so fuzzy that it started to wonder if it had indeed been affected by the alcohol. Everything was so warm, and Seiboo felt it might lose itself in her embrace.    Then Jaeha came and popped Shin-ah’s mask off to see how drunk he might be, and Shin-ah started to use his powers on Jaeha. Seiboo cackled and returned to its usual sober feeling.  ----    Yoon preferred to be called a pretty boy genius. No one, apart from the one time Ik-soo did it in jest, ever called him that.    No, his new name was “mother” and he hated it.    “I don’t remember giving birth to any of you!” he quipped back one time.    Kija looked at him with wide eyes. “But Yoon,” he said, “You did give birth to Seiboo.”    Yoon and Seiboo were equally disturbed by this. Seiboo could not muster the right words to tell Kija how wrong that sounded, so it took control of its finger-filled sack-arm and punched Kija in the jaw. Having only been a finger but still being the finger of a Hakuryuu, it packed about the same punch as Shin-ah’s fist.    “Ow,” said Kija, recovering.    “You had that coming,” Yoon said, and then moment he turned his eyes to Seiboo, Seiboo shrieked. Kija’s claw had made a hole in its arm, and it was rapidly opening up.     Seiboo shook with its full attention on its appendage splitting apart. “Ma...” it eeked out in panic, “MOOOOM!!!!!”    Yoon’s face flashed grim with a sour frown, and he knocked his fist squared between Seiboo’s eyes, then sighed and slipped him off Kija’s hand to go repair him. Seiboo was careful to keep its mouth shut. 

----    The monsters of Kouka were found: the flying man with grass for hair, and the beautiful clawed ventriloquist.    Vold took the Happy Hungry Bunch to meet Princess Tao, and on the way they found a real performer (not someone pretending to be a performer) in the street telling the tale of the Kouka monsters that took down the forts of Sei. The man was no ventriloquist, though. His mouth was wide open as he held up a real life cat puppet and starting yelling "nyao, nyao, nyao".    While Kija did his best to keep his indignation hushed and the others bellowed in laughter at his expense, Seiboo scoffed. "What's with the cat? He should be using a snake."    Hak howled louder and slapped his thighs, with no control over himself any more. The Thunder Beast's powerful lungs were as much a force to be reckoned with as the rest of him, so his voice summoned the attention of the entire crowd, including the Kouren-supporter who meant to criticize the street performer, but was now too distracted to.     "Seiboo! Now you're calling me by that derogatory name as well!?"     "Wait--what--you mean you haven't noticed all this time? I'm right here on your arm almost all the time and you haven't noticed at all? I knew you were pretty slow, but I didn't know the inside of your head was all white too!"     The crowd ooh'ed.      "I am not the one with an empty head!"      "Then what's inside my head is worthless? That's only your hand, you know."     The crowd aah'ed.      "You know what?" Seiboo went on. "I just let you think you have control of me. But I swear, as soon as your stinky old ancestors dose off a second I'll--"      "Do not insult my ancestors!"      "You're nothing but a puppet to their will!"      "I am--oh," Kija stopped and blinked. "Come to think if it, Jaeha called me that once too."    "Please leave me out of this."     "Droopy Eyes was right--you're the puppetiest puppet to ever puppet a puppet!"     The crowd drew closer and squealed with delight, and Vold starting sweating as much as Shin-ah was in his fur down in that humid southern country. He ordered his men to control the crowd and, as politely as he could muster over his panic, he urged the Happy Hungry Bunch to hurry and follow him away to the quiet summer palace. The Monsters of Kouka were just too powerful.  ----    On their way they met Algira. Algira met Ao. He had some vague awareness of the rest of the Happy Hungry Bunch.    Tao was very started to see the whole lot of them. But, like many young women who had the pleasure of meeting this bunch, she very soon took a liking to them and gave them food.    A few of the servant ladies gathered around and whispered to themselves, “It’s true, the white one really does have a puppet.”     “Amazing.”     “So talented.”     “But it sure ruins the image.”     “Agreed.”     “Koukans are weird.”     “Look, they even eat food off the floor.” 

   “They’re feral.”     “Sort of like some of our cats.”     “Yes, they’re all like our cats. Feral, dangerous, but so terribly cute that you can forgive them for anything.”     “Agreed. I like them.” 

   “Me too.”     Algira only overheard the part of this conversation that caught his interest. He decided he liked the Happy Hungry Bunch too. The guy with the puppet was alright but the guy with the Pukkyuu-nyan, well, he had a Pukkyuu-nyan.   Seiboo didn’t really care about Algira either, but Seiboo found it had a particular liking of cats. They spelled freedom. 

   But cats don’t follow directions, no matter how hard one vengeful spirit tries to possess them. Seiboo didn’t particularly care when Kija plucked it off a high shelf. It’s not as if it was scary up there. Nope.     Really, nothing could scare Seiboo after dying in the dark, surrounded by bandit bodies.  ----    Oops. The palace caught fire.     Not so ‘oops’, as it turned out.    Seiboo was initially panicked for its own well-being. Being made of fabric made it impervious to pain, but fire was a considerable threat to its permanence. Kija was quick to save it, and that was a relief, but relief very soon melted into dread. Kija, Shin-ah, Ao, Jaeha, they were all assembled. Then came Hak and Yona. And there was Tao and Algira, but who cared about them? Where was--

   --that stupid Ouryuu, he was still inside.     Seiboo could not stand the second reminder of its past. Ouryuu was going to be stuck there in the flames until something would at last give way for him to slip out from under the weight of the pillar, like how Seiboo’s physical form at last gave way to his injuries. But his spirit wasn’t free after that. Hiryuu wasn’t waiting to comfort him after his physical release. The only comfort was that the previous Seiryuu spirits had as much as anger as he did, and that anger swarmed to give him power, an obsession to focus on and distract him from the fear. He was powerless, his power was gone--    It was wasn’t sure how or when it happened, but the puppet found itself in Shin-ah’s gentle arms, close to the living dragon’s heartbeat. With a hazy look around, it saw that Zeno was safe with Yona, and the last of the burning palace crumbled. 

----    Some numbskull bag of hair with a couple of rattles had the gall to attack Seiboo’s dragons. As Kija’s hand had gone limp, Seiboo zoomed off of it and onto the attacker’s leg, biting for all its puppety worth. This attacker had legs of steel, though, and didn’t notice until the fight had settled down and he ordered the Xing soldiers to take away the prisoners. He looked down to his ankle, reeled in disgust, and stomped on it to get it off. Seiboo hit the dust, and it would have shot back after the man, had Yoon not caught it and held the angry puppet with all his might against his chest to keep him under control.     Seiboo, very distracted by its indignance over what the bag of hair had done, didn’t mind being in a jail cell with the others. Some boy who came to give them food and blankets seemed nice and all, but that bag of hair, ugh, disgusting.     “You do realize that he stabbed Zeno, right?”     “And set fire to the palace?” 

   “And tried to kill Princess Tao?”     “Everybody’s got their faults,” it replied. “And let’s be honest, hundreds of people have stabbed Ouryuu. But has anyone ever stopped his heart? Nope. Only me.”     Jaeha clamped his hand over Seiboo’s mouth. “Let’s stop there.” 

   Seiboo did stop, not because Jaeha was capable was of keeping it mouth shut, but because the lack of strength in his fingers was too pitiful, and it’d be an unfair fight.     The boy with the food and blankets came back one time and started spouting some weird stuff about dragon blood and drinking it, and at last Seiboo’s opinion of him soured. “Back off,” it hissed at him. “Their bodies are mine.” 

----    It was only at mother’s behest that Seiboo remained obedient in the jail cell, but it was terribly antsy. Several days passed, but it felt like each moment was the installment of a story that was only released once or twice a month, and therefore it felt like it took well over a year for their situation to change.     And once it did change, Seiboo reveled in it--more destruction!    It rode the claws of Hakuryuu while crashing through those infuriating jail bars!   It witnessed the full power of Seiryuu unleashed on a myriad of enemies!    It... well, Ouryuu didn’t do anything and Ryokuryuu was a big jumping beanstalk as usual, nothing special after getting to watch the Seiryuu powers again. Poor Shin-ah was quickly paralyzed by that, but not exhausted, for Yona had returned and the mere sight of her gave them all an extra burst of strength. 

  Not that this extra strength lasted long. Some ropes flew over their heads, the dragons all fell down, and Seiboo’s side was frayed as Kija was dragged through the sand. One of its eyed popped off too.    Thankfully it didn’t need that eye to witness what happened next. It was Seiryuu, in was what almost looked like dragon flesh. Seiryuu, Hakuryuu, Ryokuryuu, Ouryuu; all of them, surrounding Yona with such power that Seiboo was humbled to have ever though it had any power at all, whether dead or alive. What a moment to be ali... well, not alive, but to still be allowed to exist in the world. That moment, Yona surrounded in all her glory by those powerful dragons, made Seiboo’s unnaturally long existence feel worth it.     But, dragons darn it, that Xing priest with the stupid face had to step in and ruin such a beautiful moment. Seiboo flung itself off Kija’s hand and started gumming Gobi’s face to try to maul him. The people of the people faction, already unnerved by everything that had happened so far, were distracted to the point of inaction watching the puppet narrowly suffocate their leader. In this time, Hak stormed in like the Dark Dragon he called himself to snatch his friends back from the peace faction’s nasty clutches, and Seiboo had very nearly killed Gobi when---

--riii---i---ii------iii---iiiiiip--    --someone had the sense to take out their sword and rescue their leader. Seiboo fell in pieces, and in peace. 

[southeastasianists]

It is 1.30pm on a rainy, humid December afternoon and the Sin Hoe Ping puppet troupe is busy making sure that everything is in place before they perform for Da Er Ye Bo, the two Taoist gods of the underworld.

It is the first feast day at the shentan or shrine festival for these deities, and the troupe wants the celebrations to begin smoothly.

Knowing that they will be singing for two hours without a break, the grey-haired puppeteers are clad in loose, comfortable clothing and slippers.

Two life-sized figures of Da Yi Er Bo glower at them from behind, macabre guardians of a dark curtained area where a spirit medium will be offering consultations to devotees in the evening. The medium, along with the getai singers whose traditional performance dates back to the era of the Japanese occupation, will be the star of the event.

But the members of Sin Hoe Ping don't mind being out of the limelight. As they begin to sing a high-pitched, mournful sounding song while manoeuvring the puppet characters around the makeshift stage, Yeo Lye Hoe, the 67-year-old troupe leader, shuffles off to an open area outside the tent where the festival is taking place. The only people in the audience are a little boy in a uniform, presumably on his way home from school, and his grandfather.

Yeo puffs away at a cigarette. "I'm going to do this for as long as I can," he says gruffly. "After all, if I don't, who will?"

Vestiges of the past

Sin Hoe Ping is one of the last Chinese puppet troupes active in Singapore, and the very last troupe performing in the Henghua language, spoken by those with ancestral roots in Putian, a part of Fujian Province in China.

Frequently sidelined for the more flamboyant sensibilities of Chinese opera, these puppet troupes are something of an anomaly in cosmopolitan Singapore. Rooted in ancient folk religion, they appear almost to be vestiges of the past that have stubbornly survived to challenge the modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks that are crammed across the tiny island country.

Many of the performers are hired on an ad hoc basis, whenever feast days are held to commemorate Taoist deities.

Yeo, who makes and repairs his collection of up to a 100 puppets from his apartment, says that demand for puppet shows has declined in recent years.

He attributes this to the lack of interest in temple rituals, which are often elaborate, time-consuming and costly.

"We now have five or six regular performers left. One died recently, and after the rest of us go, nobody will know the art of Chinese puppetry in Singapore any more."

Numbering approximately 20 in total, though this figure is also dwindling steadily with Singapore's ageing population, these troupes faithfully represent traditions that emerged from southern China as early as the Song dynasty in the AD 1000s.

The Chinese diaspora in Singapore, who arrived as immigrants from the southern Chinese provinces during the late 19th century, ironically preserved many elements of Chinese puppet theatre that have become almost extinct in their country of origin due to the brutal effects of the Cultural Revolution. These elements include handwritten theatre scripts used for puppet shows, which have been passed down for generations and can today cost up to $1,000.

Fading art form

Yeo is a laconic and stout man who does not romanticise the work he does.

"I don't feel that I'm doing something noble. My grandfather taught me the scripts, the songs and how to move the puppets when I was seven. I have known everything by heart for my entire life, and I keep doing it now because it's what I know."

He studied with a puppet master until his 20s. Then, upon the latter's retirement, he bought the puppet collection for approximately $1,500 and continued running the show with other troupe members.

In good months, puppet troupes such as Sin Hoe Ping can earn between $5,000 to $7,000, performing at a number of temple festivals every week, but for the most of the year, income is much harder to come by. The money is mostly redistributed among performers, who are all older people or retirees, with the rest going back into the maintenance of the puppets.

"It's not something you do to make money," he says with a slight smile. He has three children who are English-educated and in their 30s. None of them is interested in continuing his trade.

One of his performers, Chua Mui Hua, 76, agrees.

"My grandchildren have never come to see me perform, but even if they did, I doubt they would understand anything I am singing," she says.

She is making a salient point about the Chinese languages that are gradually becoming extinct in Singapore. In 1979, the government became convinced that the use of southern Chinese languages such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese and Hakka - which were the lingua franca of the very first Chinese immigrants in Singapore - was preventing Singaporeans from achieving full bilingualism in English and standard Mandarin Chinese.

For more than 30 years, the Speak Mandarin Campaign heavily discouraged the use of these southern Chinese languages in the popular media, particularly on television and radio. Today, few young people can claim to understand simple phrases in their grandparents' language, let alone comprehend complex narratives sung over two hours.

Children in the business

Not all the stalwarts of the Chinese puppet trade are pessimistic about its future.

Tina Quek, 47, is the leader of the last puppet troupe in Singapore that performs in the Teochew language, but she is sanguine about her prospects. Much like Yeo, she has spent the bulk of her life immersed in these vanishing traditions, and her repertoire includes not just puppet performances but also opera and Qing Chang, singing events staged by an all-female group. But unlike Yeo, all four of her children are heavily involved in her business and learning the ropes.

"My youngest son is 13 and is already learning to play the suona to accompany my performances," she says. Her speaking voice is soft and gravelly, but transforms completely into a nasal soprano when she sings.

"It's practice," she grins. "I've been doing this since I was eight, that's how I was confident that my children would be able to pick up these skills quickly as well." Still, her cheeriness is tempered by slight anxiety.

"I would like my children to continue the business, but I'm especially worried about my son. His studies suffer each time he leaves school early for a performance. And more importantly, with younger people becoming less interested in these traditions, will he be able to make enough money to survive in Singapore?"

Her daughter, Christine Ang, 19, shares her mother's ambivalence. She has just finished at a vocational school and reveals that she juggles a string of part-time jobs alongside her impressive credentials as one of Singapore's youngest puppet performers and opera singers.

Getting ready to perform and putting on make-up are among her favourite parts of the job.

"I don't think it's true that there's no interest amongst young people my age," she muses. "Whenever I invite my friends, they always turn up. In fact, the last time they came, I made them put on make-up too!"

However, she acknowledges that "off-peak" seasons are a cause of concern.

"The Seventh Lunar Month is a good time for us, because that's when many people worship at the temples to appease the spirits of wandering ghosts. But the rest of the year, not so much," she says.

She admits that she sometimes wonders, although fleetingly, if continuing her education or getting a full-time job might be a better option. "It would be sad if I stopped performing. I guess there's some pressure, because I don't want to be the one who let a tradition die."

Reviving puppetry

Some are eager to help this small community survive the onslaught of modernisation.

Caroline Chia, 33, is a researcher specialising in Chinese puppet traditions who has single-handedly documented the performances of almost all the troupes still active over the past few years. Yeo fondly refers to her as "xiao mei", a Chinese term that means "little girl".

"I have tried to help in some ways by liaising with event organisers and theatre personnel so that the troupes get to perform outside of the temple context," she says. Her hard work means that some of the troupes have had the opportunity to bring their work to wider audiences, including public road shows and cultural events at museums.

Her late grandmother, who loved Teochew opera and music originating from eastern Guangdong Province in China, encouraged her interest in Chinese puppetry.

"Troupes come and go … it is something that's beyond our control sometimes. But I guess more has to be done to revitalise puppetry before it is gone altogether."

On a sweltering day, Yeo's troupe holds a performance in a shrine in eastern Singapore.

Yeo is in a bad mood, barking expletives down the phone.

"The performer who was scheduled to sing with us today forgot to turn up," sighs his wife, Li Shui Mei, who is from Putien and has been working with him for years. "I guess I will have to sing both the female parts by myself, then."

I help them carry the puppets into the shrine to make them "kneel" before the deities prior to the performance, since there aren't enough people around to do it. The puppets are surprisingly heavy.

For the next two hours, Li and Yeo sing, play the keyboard, cymbals and drums, and manipulate the puppets across the small stage. There might be only five people in the audience today, and in a few years there may be none, but, just getting to perform today is enough for the two puppeteers.

[scenarios-on-ice]

Y'ALL KNOW ME

(We are outgunned)

WHAT!!!

(outmanned)

YOU HEAR IT?!

(Outnumbered, outplanned-)

DISTILLED SPIRITS!!!

(The greatest man woman in all of the land of tumblr)

PLEASE RISE FOR YOU QUEEN

LUNA

(…what? Ok, don’t worry about the cinnamon roll who did absolutely nothing wrong, somebody on the wiki clearly made a mistake. TG traumatized me with many things these past few weeks but Kaneki disappearing/recieving a ‘fatal’ injury isn’t one of them. He has plot armor, remember? Worry about Urie instead. 

Like in the latest chapter we literally saw him talking with Amon and he was totally fine

I almost screamed when I saw that page

I’ve been waiting so long for them to meet again)

I’ll try to find My Shot again and I’ll let you know when I do! I don’t have much time on my hands at the moment…

Oooh, Armin-Eliza and Mikasa-Angelica do work really well! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that ^^;; Armin and Eliza both have that ‘looks like a cinnamon roll and is a cinnamon roll but could still kill you’ thing going on lol

(I’m personally a fan of Eremika; I couldn’t see Eren ending up with anyone else in canon, though I do like to ship him with Annie…I’d also like the idea of him with Historia if Yumikuri wasn’t one of my OTPs.)

You’re right, Erwin does behave more like Hamilton in general (a more mature version of musical Hamilton or just historical Hamilton), Eren’s not an idiot but he’s still nowhere near Ham in terms of intelligence. I do think Eren fits with Hamilton better in some ways than Erwin though- like his temper, hardworking nature, determination and that bad habit of never knowing when to shut up.

I can just see Eren’s horrified face if someone ever told him to talk less and smile more.

I wanted Levi to be the Burr to Eren’s Hamilton but thinking it over, I realize that while it doe fit I can’t see Levi shouting ‘we’re reliable with the L A D I E S’ in the middle of a crowded ballroom (Levi is also more of a ‘shut up when you need to but when you do have something to say, be honest’ kind of person than a ‘talk less, smile more’ type). So now I want Jean as Burr for Eren. Like, it’s not the best casting ever, but I see some distinctly Burr-like traits in Jean and his rivalry with Eren is very similar to the Burr-Hamilton relationship (only more friendly and less murderous).

(Imagine Jean singing Wait for It and during the line ‘And if there’s a reason I’m still alive when everyone who loves me has died’ Marco’s face flashes across the screen

Or wait, maybe just Marco as the older Theodosia and then Dear Theodosia (reprise)…)

(Like I said above, I agree with you that Levi is a more Burr-like character but younger!Levi is a Hamilton in some ways. Hurricane could be his theme song, only instead of 'write my way out’ it’s more of…you know…fight my way out)

But now I have a harder time deciding who I want as Angelica…I personally prefer Annie or Ymir because Angelica is a witty, sharp character who probably would have gone into politics if people weren’t so sexist back then, and I can see Annie or Ymir bantering with Eren while Mikasa is a more stoic character who lets her actions speak for her. But then, if Jean is Burr I live for the idea of Mikasa brutally shutting down his attempt to hit on her during The Schuyler Sisters (sorry Jean)

(Ok one last time but I really do think Historia’s and Eliza’s character arcs are really similar in some ways)

Oh seriously? That’s so cool! I’m not sure about my acting skills because I’ve never really had to use them…as for singing, I’ve never had any training but I’ve been told I have a good voice. Not anything amazing but apparently it’s nice to listen to? I’m not sure but a lot of people have told me that so. Maybe it’s not too bad XD my rapping skills are pretty average, I think.

Plot twist:

I’d play Peggy.

*gives hugs*

*gives rainbows*

*gives unicorn*

(Idk why I wrote that don’t ask

Seriously though congratulations for getting through that night)

Conspiracy theory:

Your phone and shuffle are plotting to expose you and make you actually admit and accept your feelings

They’re evil

They deserve to burrn like Hamilton’s love letters to Eliza

OK, found the My Shot AMV! It’s by Katherined on youtube ^^

And btw, there’s also an AoT AMV for Aaron Burr, Sir now! The casting isn’t too great in my eyes (they reversed our casting for Levi-Burr and Erwin-Ham, and while I do think Levi is similar to Ham in some ways LMM’s enthusiastic voice paired with his ‘I’m dead inside’ face is weird XD also, Armin is Lafayette in this video? Mikasa is John? The only thing I agree with is Eren as Mulligan…and Armin’s horrified face at 'WHO ARE YOU’).  But the editing is good and it is pretty funny (I take back the comment about Eren as Mulligan being the only casting choice I agree with; there’s also Mike as the Bursar Levi punched)

Mikasa’s scenes at Trost combined with 'these redcoats don’t want it with me’ is kinda accurate though

THOUGH, IN REVIEWING THE INCIDENTS OF MY BEING AN ADMIN OF A BLOG

I AM UNCONSCIOUS OF INTENTIONAL ERROR

I AM NEVERTHELESS TOO SENSIBLE OF MY RANDOM HIATUSES

NOT TO THINK IT PROBABLE THAT I MAY HAVE DISAPPEARED COUNTLESS TIMES

I SHALL ALSO CARRY WITH ME THE HOPE THAT MY FOLLOWERS

WILL NEVER CEASE TO VIEW IT WITH INDULGENCE…

OH, I see! I’m glad about that ;-; I keep forgetting that Kaneki won’t die no matter what. I mean, we also thought that Armin died and look what happened.

Soooo, what happened to the cookie?? He’s one of my favs in tgre, he can’t die! Or will he just turn into a full one-eyed ghoul?? 
;-;

Yeah, I got the link! It wasn’t that nice, to be honest… I mean, I’ve seen a lot better amvs :/

Yeah, Eliza would absolutely murder you if you badmouthed her. But I think Peggy is even worse ;-; I mean, didn’t she scare off people treating her with an axe at one point? That’s just crazy…

True, Eremika seems to be what we’ll get from the manga and I don’t mind at all, tbh. I’m more of an Armin and Annie shipper. Idk why, don’t ask why. YUMIKURI IS THE CUTEST THING EVER. After this is over, marry me!

Erwin has Hamilton’s ambition, but he’s not as hot-tempered or impulsive, thankfully. When I imagine a compulsive Erwin, I get shivers ;-; It’d probably be a nightmare to have him for an enemy. But Com. Eyebrow’s calm is also scary in itself. I mean, the fact that he’s able to lead so many soldiers (including himself) to their death, voluntarily, is terrifying.

Eren has Ham’s temper and determination, but I think he’d rather fight Bert again than having to ‘write his way out’. That’d probably be a nightmare for him… He’d get so insulted if anyone ever told him that XD

Levi fits Burr in many aspects, but I think that the ones he doesn’t share with him are bigger in number.
I think I’d cry from laughing if I ever saw Levi shouting ‘we’re reliable with the L A D I E S’ Even though their relationship isn’t the best fitting, I agree on Jean-Eren for Burr-Ham. I think Jean has enough salt in his head to know when to shut up and he’s pretty willing to do stupid shit to achieve his goals. Only I don’t think he’d murder Eren ;-; I mean, no matter how much they fight, it’s all in good spirit. I think.

*pterodactyl screech* why do you adore toying with people’s feelings so much?? It’s like that ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine’ comic I saw for JeanMarco (and HideKaneki for that matter). I did nOT cry.

Levi does fit Hurricane quite a lot. Well, with the environment of the anime, I think a lot of the characters can connect to hurricane, which is actually quite depressing… Only the ‘I’ll write my way out’ would change for every individual person.

All three of them would make amazing Angelicas! Why not three Angelicas? That seems like the easiest answer hahah I think Annie is a bit too emotionless and deadpan for her… So, technically, Ymir would be best one? 
But as you said, Mikasa being like ‘Jean, you disgust me’ would give me life. Also, imagine the trauma when she’d find out Eren (Ham) has been killed…

Historia is Eliza, confirmed. BUT WOULDN’T THAT MAKE YMIR ALEX??? WE HAVE NEW HAM!AOT!!!

Oh, that’s pretty cute ^^ I was in puppetry, so I don’t know how well I’d do in actual acting, tho ;-; I’d love to hear you sing one day :) Yeah, I can’t quite rap either. I’d say I have a more of an ability to speak really quickly than actual rap skills.

You’d be the best peggy ever

My shuffle is usually quite evil… Like, it gives me Say No To This right after Helpless. Or Congratulations after Satisfied and so on. And sometimes, it goes on a sad song streak. It’s mean ;-;

I shall never admit my feelings! Well, I’ve admitted them to myself, but I don’t plan on confessing anytime soon, since I’m a potato who’d rather stay forever alone than potentially embarrass myself :)

Aaron Burr, Sir is an amazing amv. I really liked the editing, even though Burr Erwin and Levi Ham are a bit different than expected. Imagine this: Levi saying the line ‘I was chosen for the constitutional convention!’

Mikasa will kick anyone’s ass, it’s been confirmed. Mikasa is kickass.

[flickdirect]

Jim Henson was a master of his craft. Not only did he give us The Muppets but he brought us the beloved series, Fraggle Rock as well. The show debuted in 1983 on HBO in the US (other stations internationally). The series became a hit with kids and continued for four seasons, with the last season airing until March of 1987. Now, those of us who grew up with the Fraggles can enjoy the series again and introduce them to a new generation with the release of Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series on Blu-ray.

This 12-disc release contains all 96 episodes of the series and it's a joy to relive favorite episodes and characters. The "cast" includes Gobo Fraggle, the level-headed main character of the pack who is also an explorer of the various tunnels in Fraggle Rock. His uncle is Uncle Traveling Matt, who explores "Outer Space", which is what the Fraggles call the human part of the world. Next, we have Mokey Fraggle, a free spirit type who is artistic and fairly low key; Wembley Fraggle, who is the high strung best friend of Gobo; Boober Fraggle, a highly intelligent yet often melancholy Fraggle; and Red Fraggle, the fun-loving and lively best friend of Mokey who would love to be in control of more situations like Gobo.

The entire collection is housed in digital sleeves which is not the best format to keep the discs scratch free and safe. It also makes the package take up more space on your bookshelf while the protective coating on the Blu-rays make DVD scratches ancient history. While the packing of the Blu-ray states Fraggle Rock is in 1080p it is actually in 1080i with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Because the source material was shot on video there was not much Sony could do to clean up the video to meet today's standards. However, while they try their best, that 80s retro video feel and all the artifacting that comes with it still shines through even with the best equipment. Fairing a bit better is the DTS-HD 2.0 audio mix. The dialog is crisp and clear and the songs come through in better quality than ever heard before.

Special Features included in this set are:

NEW Fraggle Music Celebration

Celebrate your favorite Fraggle songs with sing-alongs for every episode or hit shuffle and let the Fraggles choose for you!

NEW Life on Set: Moments with Jim Henson

NEW 1993 "The Today Show" Segment featuring Uncle Travelling Matt

Down at Fraggle Rock: Behind the Scenes (48-minute version)

Fraggle Songs & Doozer Music

Interviews with Fraggle Rock Creators and Puppeteers

Seasons 2, 3 and 4 Overviews

Docs and Sprockets

"All Around the World" Music Video

Travelling Matt

20 Travelling Matt Segments

Special Tribute to Jerry Juhl

Scared Silly: Art Imitating Life

Production Design Featurette

Electro-Mechanical Puppetry

Doozer Design

How the Trash Heap Came to Be

Gorg Design

Interviews with Michael Frith, Kathy Mullen, and Gerry Parkes

HBO Promos

You Cannot Leave the Magic: Excerpts from the Last Day of Shooting

Dance Your Cares Away: The Evolution of the Theme Song

The Inner Gorg: An Interview with the Performers Inside the Costumes

Let the Music Play: An Interview with Phil Balsam and Dennis Lee

Celebrating Fraggle Rock: Excerpts from the Wrap Party

Designing the Puppets: An Interview with the Puppet Makers

Directing the Fraggles: An Interview with Eric Till and George Bloomfield

Additional Interviews:

Dennis Lee with Mokey

Jerry Juhl with Gobo

Jocelyn Stevenson with Red and Mokey

Faz Fazakas with Cotterpin Doozer

A Minute with Travelling Matt

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

All 13 Episodes of Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series

Animated Series Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

Animated Series Character Galleries

Animated Series Opening Scene Storyboards

Sony and The Henson company made a great archive of one of the best shows of the early 1980s. While compared to today's video/audio standards the set does show it's age. However, for an 80s child like myself, it brings a smile to my face (I also am now taking my traveling Matt Cardboard Cutout that came with the set along with me everywhere I go!).

About Maureen Buccellato Maureen's taste in film and television is across the board; from horror to romantic comedies, drama to science-fiction, she likes them all.

Read more reviews and content by Maureen Buccellato.

via FlickDirect Entertainment News, Exlclusive Interviews, and Film Reviews

[vileart]

The Recovery Dramaturgy: Ilona Munro @ Edfringe 2017

Bright Productions 

The Recovery Version

Hogmanay in the Highlands.  Three generations of men.  Traditions, banter, song.  The whisky should probably stay in the cupboard. 

Out of Glencoe comes a lovingly, dysfunctional, all-male tale of lost dreams, long held hurts and father-son ties, told with a very Scottish voice and new songs.  The kind of songs sung at a New Year’s party.

The Recovery Version by Bright Productions

Venue:  Sweet Grassmarket (2)                       Tickets: £8 (£6)

Dates:   4th-20th August                                  Box Office:  0131 243 3596

Time: 13:40 (ends 15:00)                                  Venue website: www.sweetvenues.com

What was the inspiration for this performance?

I became a single parent when my kids were only age one and five.  I stayed single and worked full time for several years and during that time I fretted about my son having no good male role models.  Although we maintained what we could with his father, it was unfortunate that his grampa wasn't around ( though he has an amazing granny)  I needn't have worried, lots of male friends, family and teachers were in his life, as well as good women.   Alongside this is an ongoing joy of living in a Highland community (after time in London and Russia) and of the characters that make living here so good.  I was also often wondering about men, and where they were at in the Highlands.  Alcohol and lack of decent jobs with decent pay can take it's toll, but creativity, kindness and an incredible thing - split up families that still talk exist too - hec sometimes they even go their ex partners weddings! 

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas? 

Absolutely!  Although Lochaber is 2000 sq miles, it doesn't have a dedicated arts centre or cinema, so performance has to be in village halls, schools and found spaces.  With the demise of promoters budgets and small scale touring it can be hard to access professional performance without going 200 miles round trip, but when professional companies come here, they are greatly appreciated.  Community, youth and school theatre are well attended.  We also find that it is a myth that young people need everything crash bang wallop now ( she says as her son who is now 14 plays his Xbox)  We have been part of many educational theatre projects and they can really reach out, where other projects can't.  EG our last tour of "Stigma" and "HomeBrew" resulted in self referrals to help ( we always work in partnerships)  Interestingly enough, it was a Lochaber Common Weel who hosted "Faslane".  This is a social-political group, not a promoter or venue, and they had new audience engaging because of Scottish issues in the content.

How did you become interested in making performance?

Cliche alert!  I loved theatre and ballet from totdom.  Went to wee Co-op drama clubs in manky crumbling halls in Perth.  For some reason I studied Russian at uni -but this then took me to Siberia where I saw children's drama in summer camps.  And the Kirov for £4.  I studied Drama for a year in London and the college were so supportive that they gave me £150 quid and said "go do Edinburgh" So I wrote a play in 1994 and did.  I carried on doing this.  As I neared my thirties I became Eden Court's Drama Worker in Lochaber - and that taught me so very much.  Then came writing commissions, and three years ago I set up Bright Productions ( alongside a not for profit group called Dramafish to support arts in Lochaber) and continued teaching, writing, directing, stapling, packing cars, pitching, scrabbling for cash....  We got into Luminate Festival and started working in Abbeyfield Care Home too.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

Not a particular approach as such, but we are very keen on Generations Working Together projects.  Population is so tiny in the Highlands that it often makes sense to include all ages.  The Recovery Version has a young lad in it, so we have cast three teenagers, two girls and a boy ( my son!) alongside the professional adults.  We also have young men helping build the set with Graeme Martin, our set designer, and a few more interested in theatre process, street performance/marketing.  We will make opportunities for these young people to come to Edinburgh and experience the sheer wonderful, lively, bonkers thing that is the fringe.

We have also had development days and meals together to make sure that in advance of rehearsals ( which don't start til Monday 17th July - eek!) that we all start to feel a team bond.  Parents are included and are brilliantly supportive.  As I said, community is great here, as is Kinlochleven High School.  Add to this our two musicians from Ballachulish working on our sound and songs.  Working with Chaz Stewart (ex Guitarist with the Donnie Munro Band, and our Photographer) and Paul Hornby Battrick, is often a crucial part of our development.

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

I am not sure that we have a "usual" production.  Our performances often depend on who commissions us, or who wants to work in partnership with us.  That said, I guess there is always a rather Scottish heart to it all and since I have been living in Kinlochleven for nearly twenty years now, a specifically Highland one.  

It doesn't preclude us looking around the globe for inspiration - one of our favourite shows is about the Russian Revolution, and we are very interested in learning more puppetry.  We are also working on shows for cafes along the west coast railway line and on a loch boat.  I suppose we are quite Highland in outlook..."acht will see what happens, mibbes aye and mibbes naw!"  It's really about relationships and partnerships for us.  But The Recovery Version is just because we wanted to - and because I haven't taken a show to Edinburgh for 17 years.  Oh and humour, we love a good laugh.  Even in the serious issues.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?

Firstly, we simply hope folk enjoy it!  Above that, we hope that the audience will connect with the characters, and that they will recognise that build to Hogmanay, and the slide down the others side into the new year.  It would make our wee hearts sing if folk laughed and tapped their toes to the Hogmanay party.  I think we also feel that there is something to be said for men, about men, while a huge focus is currently on women.  Lastly, we would like the audience to come away going  "ocht that's great that theatre can come out a wee village near Glencoe"

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?

We did toy with having it interactive - ie the audience drank with us, ate cheesy pineapples on a stick with us, sang with us. They can sing, and we may have nibbles out, but in the end we felt it was about taking folks into that period after Christmas before the New Year, and we thought for this show that allowing the audience to sit back and enjoy and to choose whether they tap toes was best. It's the Highland way "acht whatever!" 

But we will be having mini Hogmanay parties on the Mile, and around Edinburgh, so folks can get wee treats and learn Gaelic singing (Hogmanay style) and be as interactive as they like. We will also be performing previews in Ballachulish Village Hall and The Ben Nevis Distillery, where we will have post show discussions, and this will inform any changes needed to improve things.

Jonny had a minor hit once, but no one would know.  Especially since those five homogenised wee bams have covered his song and made it a major Christmas hit.   John is Jonny’s son.  John blames his Dad a lot for his failing life.   And then there is Jack.  John’s wee lad who is suddenly coming to stay for New Year.  John hasn’t seen Jack for some time.  Just as well Fisher is around to keep spirits bright.  But then strong spirits were always the problem.

Although this is Bright Production’s first time at the fringe, writer/director Ilona Munro is well known in Lochaber for her highly varied theatre projects and thoughtful mental health TIE work across Highland.  Working with local professionals and up and coming young theatre makers, Bright has a great reputation in Lochaber for making people laugh and engaging the community in “generations working together” workshops and plays.

17 Hogmanays have passed since Ilona last took a show to the fringe. 

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