WEBVTT - We chat Bluey Big Play with Jess Mina

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<v Speaker 1>Weekend Breakfast with Amy mckivor in for Sarah Jane Mcguanla

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<v Speaker 1>King on Kay Talk. Time to go to the theater. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>what is happening? It is, of course school holidays and

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<v Speaker 1>so at the Artscape you can catch Blue's big play,

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<v Speaker 1>the stage show. Now, I wasn't very familiar with Blue

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<v Speaker 1>when the producer Amber and I were discussing this interview,

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<v Speaker 1>but when I turned to my twelve year old daughter

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<v Speaker 1>and said, is this something you'd like to see? She

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<v Speaker 1>was all over it. It is apparently incredibly popular. So

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<v Speaker 1>if you, like me, don't know about it, you probably should.

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<v Speaker 1>The beloved Blue Healer family consists of Bluey Bingo, Mum

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<v Speaker 1>and dad and they are teaming up with the Cape

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<v Speaker 1>of Good Hope SBCA to support animals in need during

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<v Speaker 1>the cold winter months. Joining us on the line, or

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<v Speaker 1>rather by zoom because she's based in Australia to tell

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<v Speaker 1>us more, is co director Jess Minis. Jess, thanks so

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<v Speaker 1>much for joining us this morning or this afternoon in

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<v Speaker 1>your case.

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<v Speaker 2>Good luck, Thank you for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's very exciting for South African audiences that

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<v Speaker 1>the Bluey stage show is. Yeah, they are and obviously

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<v Speaker 1>very beloved characters. How do you bring them to life

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<v Speaker 1>on stage through the puppetry.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so we have four very beautifully crafted puppets for Mom, Dad, Blue,

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<v Speaker 2>and Bingo, and we've got two puppeteers that perform behind

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<v Speaker 2>each of these puppets, and we are breathing our emotion

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<v Speaker 2>into these puppets to bring them to life. And the

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<v Speaker 2>puppets themselves really emulate the same versions of these characters

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<v Speaker 2>that children know and love from the iconic TV show

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<v Speaker 2>Blue and Yeah. It's a spectacular show and I can't

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<v Speaker 2>wait for audiences to see it.

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<v Speaker 1>Jess, what's the biggest challenge when it comes to making

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<v Speaker 1>these characters feel real for a live audience.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, if I'm honest with you, I don't think a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of it is challenging because the response we get

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<v Speaker 2>from the audience is just so welcoming and you can

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<v Speaker 2>just really tell that they're enjoying it. It's a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of the kids' first time in a theater, so I

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<v Speaker 2>think the show is very impactful and also has a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit of adult humor in there for the adults

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<v Speaker 2>that are accompanying the children watching this show. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know that there is a challenging part. I must say,

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<v Speaker 2>I've performed the show myself, Nelli, eight hundred times, and

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<v Speaker 2>I really do love every minute of it.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, it's a pretty fast that you aren't here in

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<v Speaker 1>Cape Town to perform on our stage and enjoy the

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<v Speaker 1>beauty of our city. But we're still grateful to you

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<v Speaker 1>for putting the show together and allowing it to come here. Jess,

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<v Speaker 1>can you tell us about the design of the puppets.

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<v Speaker 1>How closely do they resemble the characters?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, for sure, the puppets are pretty spot on, well

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<v Speaker 2>as close as you could be to emulating a animated

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<v Speaker 2>TV show. I suppose each puppet has three mechanisms inside

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<v Speaker 2>its head, and we've got an eye trigger, an eyebrow trigger,

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<v Speaker 2>and a mouth trigger, as well as rods connected to

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<v Speaker 2>the hand and the feet of the puppets. So we've

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<v Speaker 2>got one puppeteer that will operate the head or the

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<v Speaker 2>trunk of the puppet, and then we've got the second

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<v Speaker 2>puppeteer that then adds on gestures and allows the movement

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<v Speaker 2>that's performed by the puppet to get as close as

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<v Speaker 2>possible to the cartoon that we all know and.

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<v Speaker 1>Love and are the performers that are controlling the puppets

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<v Speaker 1>completely hidden or do you see the people behind the puppets.

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<v Speaker 2>No, we haven't actually gone to any effort really to

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<v Speaker 2>hide the puppets is because I just don't I don't

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<v Speaker 2>think it's necessary. Anyone that sits in the audience and

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<v Speaker 2>watches this show will know exactly what I'm talking about.

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<v Speaker 2>But basically, the puppets is are not hidden and are

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<v Speaker 2>very much there on stage with the puppets, but their

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<v Speaker 2>energy is being focused into the puppet, and the puppet

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<v Speaker 2>is during the attention of the audience. The movement that

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<v Speaker 2>we are performing to create live action with these objects

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<v Speaker 2>is really is really what people are there to see,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think within the first minute of the show

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<v Speaker 2>you forget there's people even behind these puppets.

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<v Speaker 1>So clever jes. Do you have a favorite character in

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<v Speaker 1>the Blue Ey play and why?

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<v Speaker 2>I might be a little bit biased because I've played

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<v Speaker 2>Bingo for five years now, so I think Bingo's got

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<v Speaker 2>to be my favorite. But overall, I just love the

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<v Speaker 2>emotional journey that all of the characters go through throughout

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<v Speaker 2>the play, and the audience gets to come in and

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<v Speaker 2>spend a day with the characters from the minute they

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<v Speaker 2>wake up to the minute they go to bed, and

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<v Speaker 2>there's lots of fun, lots of games, some dancing, some singing,

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<v Speaker 2>and yeah, all kinds of fun ready to be had.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think Bengo's got to be my favorite.

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<v Speaker 1>What is your day to day job like as an

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<v Speaker 1>assistant puppetry director, Jason, What drew you into this career?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, initially, I actually studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts

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<v Speaker 2>in dance, so I have a movement based background and

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<v Speaker 2>that's kind of how I fell into puppetry. I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>actually realize the crossover between ants and puppet cree and

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<v Speaker 2>how similar these two skills are. I think they both

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<v Speaker 2>compliment each other a lot. And yeah, I just think

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<v Speaker 2>that I was kind of lucky to be in the

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<v Speaker 2>right place at the right time to end up on

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<v Speaker 2>this Blue Adventure. And yeah, I'm forever grateful for the

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<v Speaker 2>experience I've had. I was able to travel Australia, I

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<v Speaker 2>was able to travel to New Zealand, Canada, North America,

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<v Speaker 2>and most recently South Africa. And yeah, getting in the

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<v Speaker 2>room with the South African cast was incredible. I think

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<v Speaker 2>they've brought something new to the show. Obviously, it is

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<v Speaker 2>an Australian show, but just working with a local cast

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<v Speaker 2>and local crew has really brought a new element to

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<v Speaker 2>the show that I'm super excited for people to witness.

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<v Speaker 1>And just last question, I know that you are your

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<v Speaker 1>focus in particular is the puppetry, of course, but I

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<v Speaker 1>just wonder how the collaboration with the SPCA came about.

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<v Speaker 1>What inspired you guys to partner with them, and what

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<v Speaker 1>are the audience encouraged to do to help?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh? Yes, so, if I'm honest with you, I don't

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<v Speaker 2>have a lot of connection with that side of things.

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<v Speaker 2>My job is just to get in the room, teach

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<v Speaker 2>the show and make make sure the show is up

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<v Speaker 2>to part And yeah, I've done that. I've gotten into

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<v Speaker 2>the room with the director Jacob Williams, He's incredible, and

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<v Speaker 2>have taught the show to the local cast and made

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<v Speaker 2>sure that everyone's happy and they're all doing the show justice.

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<v Speaker 2>And yeah, I know that. You can find more information

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<v Speaker 2>about that on Showtime social media and Showtime's website. If

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<v Speaker 2>you go to Showtime dot co dot za or also

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<v Speaker 2>at ticketmaster dot co dot za. You can purchase tickets

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<v Speaker 2>there and read more about the.

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<v Speaker 1>Fundraising Jasmine As We'll leave it there. Thank you so

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<v Speaker 1>much for your time on this Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon,

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<v Speaker 1>your time. She was joining us by zoom from Australia.

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<v Speaker 1>She is the co director of Bluey's Big Play. It's

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<v Speaker 1>on at the Artscape at the moment until Sunday, the

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<v Speaker 1>sixth of July, so you've got at least another week

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<v Speaker 1>to go and see the show. I'm sure your kids

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<v Speaker 1>will be begging you to take them along, but that

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<v Speaker 1>is something that you can do to enjoy the school

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<v Speaker 1>holidays with your family.