Backyard Possum Encounter

Possum Place: Every Show Sold Out

We had three sell-out shows of Possum Place last weekend. Audiences were both moved and delighted by the story, which was based on accounts collected from our school community. The performance drew inspiration from French absurdist theatre and Commedia dell’arte, blending physical theatre with animation, puppetry and a miniature set. 

The comedic elements were playful and inventive; some of my favourites included the apricot tree portrayed by a human and the cardboard houses that moved in sync with their occupants. The play used awe and wonder to captivate audiences while delivering an important message about caring for native wildlife, especially the critically endangered western ringtail possum.

We are immensely grateful for the extraordinary puppetry of Chloe Flockart, who served as our lead and mentoring artist for this project. Chloe’s involvement was made possible through a Creative Schools Grant from the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport. The play also showcased the talents of our Arts team: Ms Katie Gunning as Director, Dr Giles Watson as Dramaturg and Ms Angela Diletti as Stage Manager.

Our set crew for the puppet play have been learning about the construction (and repair) of puppets. Our lead artist, Chloe Flockart has been back to continue with the development of the play. Rehearsals will be in full swing by then.

Chloe Flockart, learning how to manipulate puppets to express emotion and movement!

Possum Puppet Play

Our play is taking shape as we finalise the script. We have a great group of performers and stage crew who will be working over the next four months to bring our play to life. 

We have had our lead artist, Chloe Flockart, here with us for the first block of her residency, mentoring all of us as the play takes form. Chloe is a multidisciplinary puppeteer with a wealth of skills and experience to share. She has worked on many productions with theatre companies in Western Australia and internationally. Chloe was involved in the acclaimed play of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse in London. She has worked with The Last Great Hunt, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and Barking Gecko. 

Students have really benefitted from Chloe’s impressive range of skills and bold approach to everything she does. We are excited to see our set and puppets come to life.

Backyard Possum Encounter - Update

We are busy developing the script for our puppet play about the western ringtail possum. Our lead artist, Chloe Flockart will be with us for much of Term Three working with students on set design and puppet making.

Here is a link to view work that Chloe has previously done:

https://youtu.be/8QhnjKCAlcE?feature=shared

Our play is beginning to take shape! All of the stories about western ringtail possums from our school community have been collated, and Arts staff spent a very productive weekend with Michael Barlow, Associate Director of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, and Chloe Flockart, who will be our lead artist on this project. 

Chloe is a multi-talented artist with puppetry skills, acting, and directing. She has worked with a number of companies in Australia and the UK, including Barking Gecko Theatre Company, The Last Great Hunt, and Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. We’re very excited to be working with her on our project.

Dr Watson will work with students this term to further develop the narrative structure that has been mapped out for the play.

Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts