Puppetry of the Penis - Newspaper Cuttings, 2001
Title
Puppetry of the Penis - Newspaper Cuttings, 2001
Date
August / September 2001
Description
Newspaper features, readers' letters and reviews for Puppetry of the Penis, presented at the Theatre Royal from 3 September 2001
What's the story?
Puppetry of the Penis was a show conceived by two Australians Simon Morley and David Friend, in which they manipulated their genitalia, along with comic narration, into various well-known shapes, such as the Eiffel Tower and a hamburger.
The act was first performed on the international stage at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Australia and quickly became a global hit.
Following success at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2000, a large UK national tour took place the following year.
Comedian Jo Caulfield warmed up the audience and then for an hour, Daniel Lewry and Stephen Harrison, as the two ‘genital origami’ experts, produced the Loch Ness Monster, a bull frog and other creations in their own unique way.
To make sure you didn’t miss a thing a big screen was also there to reveal everything in close detail.
As you can see from the newspaper extracts (Nottingham Evening Post & Mansfield CHAD) the show caused quite a fuss when it came to the Theatre Royal.
Nottingham Evening Post printed letters saying that the show was pornographic and vulgar, City Council leader Graham Chapman expressed his feelings by calling the show “naff” and a local businessman expressed his displeasure by cancelling his regular block-booking for the Theatre Royal Panto.
Yet there is also quite a strong and positive argument in these cuttings from many people in regard to a ‘puritan’ attitude from the City Council, plus audience comments who found the show hilarious and “amazing showmen”
The show’s producer Richard Temple even wrote to the Post strongly defending the show and its artistic merits, as well as the integrity of Michael Grayson, the Theatre Royal manager who booked the show.
The act was first performed on the international stage at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Australia and quickly became a global hit.
Following success at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2000, a large UK national tour took place the following year.
Comedian Jo Caulfield warmed up the audience and then for an hour, Daniel Lewry and Stephen Harrison, as the two ‘genital origami’ experts, produced the Loch Ness Monster, a bull frog and other creations in their own unique way.
To make sure you didn’t miss a thing a big screen was also there to reveal everything in close detail.
As you can see from the newspaper extracts (Nottingham Evening Post & Mansfield CHAD) the show caused quite a fuss when it came to the Theatre Royal.
Nottingham Evening Post printed letters saying that the show was pornographic and vulgar, City Council leader Graham Chapman expressed his feelings by calling the show “naff” and a local businessman expressed his displeasure by cancelling his regular block-booking for the Theatre Royal Panto.
Yet there is also quite a strong and positive argument in these cuttings from many people in regard to a ‘puritan’ attitude from the City Council, plus audience comments who found the show hilarious and “amazing showmen”
The show’s producer Richard Temple even wrote to the Post strongly defending the show and its artistic merits, as well as the integrity of Michael Grayson, the Theatre Royal manager who booked the show.
Type
Newspaper cuttings
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Researcher: David Longford
