★★
Adelaide Fringe. Umbrella Works Inc. The Lark at Gluttony. 1 Mar 2023
As the title suggests, Pupperotica: 7 Heavenly Sins is a puppet show in which the puppets bang on (er, yes, pun intended!) about erotica, sex, and smut. They are very, very naughty and their handlers, Keren Schlink and Josh Walker, have a rugged time keeping them in check.
The show is a SA première, and the Perth-based production company –Umbrella Works Inc – is well known in Western Australia – where previous shows (such as Pupperotica: Sex-capades) have won awards at Perth’s Fringe World Festival. However, Pupperotica: 7 Heavenly Sins has a way to go before it achieves similar success here at the Adelaide Fringe.
There is no doubting the skill and passion of Schlink (who wrote the script) and Josh Walker. As puppeteers they know what they are doing and they do it well. One finds oneself ignoring them and focussing on the puppets, which is as it should be. What is in doubt is the overall quality of the script, which is like the curate’s egg – it has good bits and not-so-good bits. The good bits include a spiel about how sex in all its forms is dealt with in the Bible. Schlink’s research is impressive. She unearths numerous biblical verses about sex and sexuality and then turns them all on their heads with contradictory statements. Such fun!
Most segments in the performance are essentially monologues, with a puppet waxing eloquently about something. On a few occasions several puppets go head to head, and the dialogue and visual impact is much funnier, but for the most part the whole thing comes across as a series of mini lectures.
Puppetry is often used to tear down barriers and taboos. It can allow audiences to ponder things they wouldn’t normally talk about or laugh at in ‘polite company’. Puppets allow us to shelter behind the unreality of what’s in front of us. For this to be effective, the puppets have to have something interesting, engaging and funny to talk about, which was not always the case tonight, and they need to be vibrant, colourful, brash, and bold – which they were.
The show needs more polish.
Kym Clayton
When: 1 to 5 Mar
Where: The Lark at Gluttony
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
