The Trouts bring charming fun in Ignorance

In our pursuit of happiness, there are many obstacles along the way. We often go about our business with a pervading sense of emptiness. At least that’s what The Old Trout Puppet Workshop thinks and they want to trace the evolution of happiness. Ignorance is a funny, delightful look at what makes us happy and what stands in our way of being happy all the time.
The play opens to a grand a fantastical and wild set of antlers that lock together with a skin stretched across the back. The voice-over explains that we as human beings only experience wisps of happiness. We then witness a puppet as he interacts with a yellow, happy face balloon. These scenes are contrasted and inter-spliced with scenes of our prehistoric ancestors. The three artists of The Old Trout Puppet Workshop have a series of impressive puppets  that range from simple to complex, the cavemen of Adam and Eve being sticks and stone out together, whereas the more current day humans are rounder, sometimes complete with feet.

The Trout artists Peter Balkwill and Pityu Kenderes are joined by Trevor Leigh and are brilliantly creative with Ignorance. A scene in particular features the puppets in cars, parallel parking on the street. It is funny and charming and very well done. The mice and mastodon are also created in charming Trout Puppet style.

The sound design is often chaotic and anxious. But it adds to the narrative of our two prehistoric ancestors trying to survive, especially when they are on the verge of being killed.

Ignorance is a fun, ironic play that features suicide and murder making it a fun mature narrative told by puppets. You’ll never think of a yellow happy smile the same way again.

The Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s Ignorance is part of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival. It has its last showing tonight. Tickets are available online.

Photo Credit: Jason Stang Photography

Tagged as: Magnetic North Theatre Festival, The Old Trout Puppet Workshop