Youghal’s Windy Lane Puppeteers Visit The Cavern, Liverpool
By Louise O’Loughlin | Photo: Vanessa O’Loughlin.
The Windy Lane Puppet Theatre who are based in Bawnard in St. Raphael’s, Youghal, recently took the opportunity to show Liverpool what they are made of when they travelled to the birthplace of the Beatles to perform their current production “Those Were the Days (An Extravaganza in Two Parts)”.
Part One of this show is an interpretation of Rolf Harris’ song “Two Little Boys” and Part Two a very lively and imaginative performance based on a medley of Beatles songs. The puppet theatre grew from the seed of a puppeteering workshop held in Bawnard, facilitated by Aaron Towers, a Cork-based puppeteer. The workshop was part of the 2005 European Capital of Culture programme and also involved the contribution of Transition Year and primary school students from the local schools.
The theatre started out with a collection of marionettes and hand puppets, and included the presentations “Mr. Evil Loses Out” and “Fluffy Saves the Day”. Bawnard manager Ned Cotter then took an interest in creating shadow puppets, which are wooden cut-outs used behind an illuminated backdrop. These backdrops consist of abstract images by John McHarg, an art therapist based in Bawnard. The colours and textures John has used, when backlit, create a rich and imaginative background against which the storyline can unfold. Those involved in the creation of the shows find that this simpler form of puppet is much more effective in practise.
The enthusiastic puppeteers are Laurence Fitzgerald, Paddy O’ Sullivan, Billy Flynn, Sarah Jennings, Christy O’ Keeffe, and Ned Cotter himself. The Windy Lane Puppet Theatre has so far played in the Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham, Dublin, the Triskel Arts Centre and the School of Music in Cork. The exciting trip to Liverpool was a busy one, with three shows being performed for local schools on the Friday, three performances on Saturday and two on Sunday for the general public, all in the Central Library in Liverpool. Vanessa recalls the thrill of hearing the children sing along in Liverpool accents. The hard work put in by the theatre was rewarded with a trip to the Beatle’s museum and the famous Fab Four venue, The Cavern.
It’s quite clear that the venture is all about creativity and fun. The only limitations on the performance of the shows is that they need a darkened venue but this requirement hasn’t stopped the show so far!” Those Were the Days” appeals to adults and children, whether Beatles fans or not, and the use of lyrics makes the performance even more accessible across the board. The group is in the process of writing a new show for next year. The Windy Lane Puppet Theatre is open to all invitations to perform, and is constantly scanning the horizon for festivals to attend.
Despite their success, however, this puppet theatre doesn’t rest on it’s laurels, and is constantly striving to develop the show. I’m told that even since I viewed the DVD of the performance, new characters have been added. The theatre has been invited to play again at the Cork School of Music, and will be performing at home in Youghal during the Visual Arts Festival in July.
All enquiries to Ned Cotter at 024 95626
See the Windy Lane Puppets in action click online video at the top of the page
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