"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, and is regular guest at the festivals in Beverley, Buxton and Glastonbury. Drew is a member of Equity, British Unima and PuppeteersUK. 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. Basically anything that is not a puppet when the show begins gets pressed into service, from hands to shoes to umbrellas to teapots! 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 SEPTEMBER 2010 10-13 September Times TBA, Shadow Tails, Wayfield Camp, Devon OCTOBER 2010 2 October 11am & 1pm, Stories on a Shoestring, Nuffield Theatre, Southampton 10 October 2.45pm, Shadow Tails, The Treasure House, Beverley Children's Literature Festival 14 October 11am, Stories on a Shoestring, The Egg, Bath 27 October 12pm, Stories on a Shoestring, The Carriageworks, Leeds 27 October 6.30pm, Stories on a Shoestring, The Oval Community Centre, Roslin Park, Northumberland 28 October 2pm, Stories on a Shoestring, Orton Market Hall, Penrith, Cumbria 29 October 2pm, Stories on a Shoestring, Pegswood Community Project, Morpeth, Northumberland 30 October 2pm, Stories on a Shoestring, Alston Town Hall, Alston, Cumbria NOVEMBER 2010 6 November Time TBA, Salt, The Harlequin Theatre, Northwich 13 November 2.30pm, Stories on a Shoestring, Rotherham Arts Centre 14 November 1pm & 3pm, Shadow Tails, Blue Elephant Theatre
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.
