Burkett - Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy

For the other little boys who grew up to be real live puppeteers, and who, as adults, became my friends. North Shore News , Vancouver Other books by Ronnie Burkett: String Quartet Tinkas New Dress Street of Blood Happy Provenance 10 Days on Earth Notes on Staging The set for Billy Twinkle is a front-on view of a cruise ship. The set is elevated two feet above the theatre stage and floats on exposed steel struts atop a stylized painted-ocean floor. The main acting area is a wooden-plank deck with a pointed bow. Much of the action of the human Billy takes place on this deck, including each of his four Stars in Miniature variety acts. Flanking this are two curved floating staircases leading to the ships bridge.

The term bridge is also a standard puppetry term referring to the elevated platform in a traditional marionette theatre on which the puppeteer stands. Below the bridgeand upstage of the central deckis a small raised stage. At the beginning of the play, the area directly behind this stage is covered with a silver-tinsel Mylar curtain. This serves as the backdrop for Billys variety numbers. The silver curtain parts in the middle and behind it is the puppet stage proscenium, which creates the acting area for all of the marionette flashback scenes throughout the play. The proscenium arch features relief sculptures of all the characters in the play in a faux gold-leaf finish.

The proscenium has a functioning red-velvet theatrical drape, which is opened and closed from the bridge above. Behind the proscenium is a curved cyclorama that is lit from underneath the stage and changes colour and pattern throughout the marionette scenes. The marionettes enter from alleys on each side of the puppet stage area, and are hung across the width of the stage at the back of the set when not in use. The marionettes are long-strung at a floor-to-control height of ninety inches. Several characters are represented by a number of duplicate marionettes; to facilitate costume changes and different ages, Billy is represented by eight marionettes. Billys variety act marionettes are short-strung in a typical cabaret style and are manipulated by Ronnie-as-Billy in full view.

Several marionettes hold and control miniature marionettes of their own, creating a puppet show within a puppet show within a puppet show. Stage directions herein are kept to a minimum. Standard staging abbreviations are used in this text, USC meaning upstage centre, SL meaning stage left and so on. John Alcorns score and Kevin Humphreys lighting design are integral to the overall design and performance, although lighting and sound notes within this text are referred to only when necessary to the reading. The play is performed without an interval, with a running time of approximately one hour and forty-seven minutes. Billy Twinkle premiered at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, Alberta on October 23, 2008 with the following cast and crew: Written and Performed by Ronnie Burkett Marionette, Costume, and Set Design by Ronnie Burkett Music and Sound Design by John Alcorn Lighting Design by Kevin Humphrey Production Manager / Artistic Associate: Terri Gillis Technical Director: Shanna Miller Stage Manager: Lesley Humphrey Dramaturge: Iris Turcott Associate Producer: John Lambert Tour Administrator: Claire Chouinard Produced by Rink-A-Dink Inc./Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes. Billy Twinkle premiered at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, Alberta on October 23, 2008 with the following cast and crew: Written and Performed by Ronnie Burkett Marionette, Costume, and Set Design by Ronnie Burkett Music and Sound Design by John Alcorn Lighting Design by Kevin Humphrey Production Manager / Artistic Associate: Terri Gillis Technical Director: Shanna Miller Stage Manager: Lesley Humphrey Dramaturge: Iris Turcott Associate Producer: John Lambert Tour Administrator: Claire Chouinard Produced by Rink-A-Dink Inc./Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes.

All production photographs by Trudie Lee. Puppet Studio Marionettes built by Ronnie Burkett Head puppet builder: Dina Meschkuleit Miniature marionettes by Angela Talbot Additional character sculpture: Erik Schaper Puppet builders: Gemma James-Smith, Robin Fisher, Ken MacKenzie Additional assistance: Martin Herbert, Alexis Taylor Costumes built by Kim Crossley, assisted by Gina Schellenberg and Anna Baines Puppet animations by Mark Keetch Controls and stringing: Luman Coad Scene Shop Head Scenic Carpenter: Les Myhr Assistant Head Scenic Carpenter: Peter Locock Scenic Carpenters: Chris Hayes and Kelly Menard Head Scenic Artist: Michelle Dias Music Music and lyrics, arrangements and recording production by John Alcorn Lyrics for Word of Jesus Christ by Ronnie Burkett Additional orchestrations arranged and conducted by John MacLeod Recording and mixing by Jeff Wolpert at Kick Audio and Desert Fish, Toronto Musicians John Alcorn: piano, kazoo Terry Clarke: drums Bob DeAngelis: baritone saxophone, clarinet Moshe Hammer: violin John Johnson: alto saxophone, piccolo Alastair Kay: trombone Jason Logue: trumpet John MacLeod: trumpet Colin Murray: bass trombone Reg Schwager: electric and nylon guitars Don Thompson: piano, vibraphone Steve Wallace: bass Perry White: tenor saxophone, flute, recorder Singers: Coco Love Alcorn, John Alcorn Voiceovers: Gemma James-Smith, Frank Meschkuleit