Laser Beak Man

Puppets, puns and plenty of laughs suitable for a school holiday audience, Laser Beak Man is peppered with innuendo that stretches from the White House in America all the way to Parliament House in Canberra.

The storyline for Tim Sharp’s extraordinary character is quite simple: a group of friends discover an energy source that could make power free for everyone in Power City but greed corrupts the discovery and it is up to Laser Beak Man and his trusted friends to save the city.

But simplicity is an illusion in this show. The reality has been very complex. From a young boy with autism who could hardly speak came a superhero, a champion who rose above the diagnosis to create a character who embodies every hope, fear, love and determination of those who strive against the odds.

Over the last four years, this project has garnered support from Brisbane to New York with director David Morton gathering a world-class ensemble to weave live puppetry and video projection together on stage. The emotional heart of the show, and the voice of Laser Beak Man himself, is none other than Brisbane’s Indie Rock band, Ball Park Music, which is set up to the left of stage. The band underscores the entire 90-minute production and gives the central character a brooding, James Dean-esque quality to offset the offbeat antics of those around him. 

The last time I saw such impressive video projection was on the walls of City Hall at Christmastime when a short Aussie Christmas story was retold using multiple video projectors which turned the pillars and walls of City Hall into a three dimensional moving storyboard.   

This production delivers the same effect using La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre in a traditional configuration with a stage on one side, and audience on the other three sides. But there is also room for Ball Park Music and even the air space has been booked out for some very special entrances.

Puppet animation can often have the puppeteers hidden behind black curtains with just their hands or arms visible to expose the illusion. Laser Beak Man celebrates the puppeteers behind the puppets. All are visible on stage with up to three people controlling one puppet and as many as seven puppeteers on stage at the one time controlling the characters. Their expressions are as much on display as those of their puppet characters and it is mesmerising to see the dance that takes place between two or three people to animate one puppet.

Shout-out to New York-based actor and puppeteer Jon Riddleberger, who brought the black sheep to life and held that life in the palm of his hand longer than anyone could have anticipated.

The guy next to us had bought the book, we had the t-shirt and three rows in front of us, the creator of both, Tim Sharp, was watching his Laser Beak Man come to life on stage after first creating him as an 11-year-old in Brisbane.

The guy to our left had obviously been part of the journey and there was a mixture of tears and cheers as he and his partner watched the show.

If you’re watching Laser Beak Man this month, you know you’re part of something special. It’s what you come to expect of La Boite and what you delight in a Brisbane Festival production.

This is a show for all ages, for people who believe in rainbows and the power of one.

Debra Bela

Images: Dylan Evans Photography.