THE PERFECT PINOCCHIO WITH PAUL CURRIE In our story today, Old Joe carves Pinocchio out of wood, but I bet you’re wondering how we really created him! Belfast-born master puppeteer, comedian and clown, Paul Currie is the genius behind our 2021 version of the world-famous little wooden boy. And whilst Pinocchio might look like he’s made of wood, for Paul’s creation, it all began with a huge chunk of foam…
I’ve made puppets before, but never one quite like Pinocchio. I experimented with concepts that used lino flooring, but it didn’t capture that realistic, gnarled wooden look. I also had to make Pinocchio as light as possible, as the puppeteer would need to hold him for the whole show. I tried lots of different tools and drills on the foam to get that split-wood, realistic, gnarled effect and thankfully it all came together. To really capture Pinocchio’s character, I took inspiration from Russian cubist sculptures and Picasso’s cubism. Pinocchio looks a little forlorn as he’s trapped in wood and probably feels a little sad! The little details are always important, and even the smallest little thing is thought through and added on purpose. I wanted Pinocchio to look like he’d been made by a carpenter who didn’t have many tools and I didn’t want to make him symmetrical because we humans are not symmetrical. I wanted his nose to be bent, one leg shorter than the other, one ear bigger than the other. I really did just start clipping at the foam and found Pinocchio in it - I hope you’ll be inspired to have a go at creating some foam art yourself (with a grown-up to help) - it’s that simple and lots of fun!
Creating Pinocchio all started with a big piece of foam and a pair of scissors, the same foam in the seats your sitting on in the theatre - and he was a really a ‘onego wonder’! I spoke with Paul Boyd (the show’s director/writer/composer) and once I understood the style he wanted, and how the circus set would look, I started hacking away - it’s was all a matter of trial and error.
PINOCCHIO THE GREATEST WONDER OF THE AGE / 26 NOVEMBER - 31 DECEMBER 2021 / LYRIC THEATRE
PINOCCHIO THE GREATEST WONDER OF THE AGE / 26 NOVEMBER - 31 DECEMBER 2021 / LYRIC THEATRE