"BIG IMAGINATION WITH A FEW THINGS" - JEAN SEPTEMBER, BRITISH COUNCIL
DREW COLBY ...is a puppet man, but he makes all of his puppets out of things! Just ordinary things. Can a shoe be a king? Can a backpack sing? Drew thinks so. And you will too when you see one of his shows! He began making and performing with puppets when he was just five years old. By the time he was twelve he was regularly performing at children's birthday parties in Oranjemund, Namibia, where he grew up. He has worked with most forms of puppetry, with leading companies including the Playhouse Puppet Company in Durban, South Africa, the Little Angel Theatre in London, Theatre Dapertutto and Puppetree Productions. He has performed his work at international festivals in the UK, Turkey, Czech Republic and South Africa. Drew is a member of Equity, British Unima, the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, PuppeteersUK and the Punch and Judy Fellowship. He has an enhanced CRB disclosure.
OBJECTS DART Founded in 2002 by Drew Colby, Objects Dart performs shows for children aged 2-10 and their families using everyday objects to create the characters, props and scenery. The exciting dynamics of object theatre, instant puppetry, storytelling, audience involvement and even music created using the objects makes for a lively and fun performance - so much fun you will want to do your own puppet show! The shows work well in small spaces such as nursery schools, but also fit in well in primary school halls, small to medium scale venues and outdoors. "I really enjoyed the show. It's interesting trying to explain to other people how you do what you do - it's so magical." - Fenella Griffin, mum of two
WHATS ON 4 July 2pm Salt, Holy Ghost Fathers, Bickley, Kent 4 July, 5.30pm Little Red Riding Hood, Rhythms of the World, Hitchin 5 July 1.30pm Salt, Sanders Park, Bromsgrove 6 July 11am, Salt, Droitwich Festival, Droitwich Spa 9-23 July Tom Tit Tot Canada Tour 25 & 26 July 1-7pm Punch and Judy, Ealing Summer Festival, Ealing 29 July 12pm & 4pm Tom Tit Tot, Buxton Puppet Festival, Buxton 1 August 3.10 & 4.30pm Punch and Judy, Fordcombe Village Fete, Kent 2 August 1pm & 2.30pm Little Red Riding Hood, Museum of Cannock Chase, Hednesford 3 & 4 August, Tom Tit Tot and Salt, Kernow Live 5 August Tom Tit Tot & Salt, Contact a Family's Big Day Out, Hyde Park 9,10,11 August 3pm Tom Tit Tot, Camden Fringe Festival, Roundhouse Studio, Camden 12 August 11am Tom Tit Tot, Haverhill Arts Centre, Suffolk 13 August 3pm Tom Tit Tot, Camden Fringe Festival, Roundhouse Studio, Camden 5 September 2.45pm The Elves and the Shoemaker, Courtyard Theatre, Hereford 12 September 10.30am Salt, Broadway Theatre, Barking 12 September 2.30pm, Churchill Theatre, Bromley 19 September 2.45pm Tom Tit Tot, Courtyard Theatre, Hereford 26 September 11.30am Little Red Riding Hood & 2pm Salt, Skipton Puppet Festival, Skipton 27 September 12noon Little Red Riding Hood, Skipton Puppet Festival, Skipton 10-17 October Kenya International Festival of Puppetry, Nairobi
CALENDAR To check the availability of any date or time for a booking, click the calendar image on the left.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY "Spellbinding story of the Shoemaker" The show - staged by Objects Dart - was performed by just one man, Drew Colby. Using a variety of objects, from a feather duster to a peg and an old shirt, Drew engaged wonderfully with his young audience to build a very convincing Shoemaker puppet as the main character. The story of the poor hardworking Shoemaker then began to unfold, spurred on by the vibrant involvement of the young audience members. Next umbrellas and lights were used to create object shadows. The children were amazed to see how different objects looked as shadows, especially when the little Elves made their appearance. With little songs and rhymes repeated throughout, the magical story really left an impression on the youngsters - so much so that most of them were still chanting them on the way out. The performance was a huge success. As a parent, it was rewarding to see my child's imagination at work and watch her interact with something as simple as a feather duster. It restored my belief that children can, in fact, make their own fun out of anything. - Anne-Marie Senior, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
IN THE BLACKOUT In 2008 Drew Colby was lead puppeteer on a short film. "In The Blackout" is a simple love story between a dress and some overalls. To see the film, click the image on the left.
