Your Theatre Programme...

Here we invite you to enjoy the lives and histories of the variety artists and comedians of the Grandan Puppets by giving you their profiles below.  Steeped in the history of traditional theatre and vaudeville it is their pleasure to perform for you in the online "refurbished" Grand Theatre.  

Our Artists

Queenie

Mildred Pierced began her stage career in 1940 as a child actress. In 1955 it was realised she bore an uncanny resemblance to “we know who” and her first assignment was as a stand-in, (double) to do a tour of NZ and Awstralia with Prince Fillet (doubled by the late actor, E Triesiton). So successful was the assignment, the old PM of Awstralia, Sir Robert Frenzy, completely taken in, penned an ode to her that has long since become a national cringe - “I did but see her passing by, and I did love her till I die!”

The poem was enough to send Mildred clean off her twist and ever since she has become so trapped in her alter ego- answering only to her tile “Queenie,” “the firm” have employed her as a full time extra- allocating special assignments to her. It is our great fortune that Queenie has agreed to work with us over the times ahead to bestow her royal presence on us and do those special things that only a queen can do!

Luciano...

Discovered when he was employed as a pasta pulla and part time opera singer, Giovanni Bastarda always aspired to tread the boards of the opera stage just as his idol, the great Pavarotti. His dreams came true when the great one stepped out of the spotlight permanently and today Giovanni makes his living (as many do) re-creating the memories of great ones gone or almost gone. Either way- we are glad to have him with us- he makes us laugh and he sure serves a great lasagne.

Mr Hulot

"Mr Hulot" stars in the Grandan Puppets Cabaret piece "Funeral March For A Marionette". After a nasty accident, Mr Hulot is given a suitably respectable, traditional send off- but is it the end?.......

Miss Margo Molloy

...herself

A favourite performer, Miss Malloy returns as one of our featured artists, after a prolonged absence due to a serious allergy to gin bottles. Last year, the allergy caused her to lose balance while on stage and she ended up in the orchestra pit in the lap of the drummer who's eyes were so blackened by the experience he couldn't see for a week!

Since taking the cure (Lourdes water mixed with a secret liquid) Miss Malloy has enjoyed a remarkable recovery.

"It's wonderful to be verticle and way out front again, entertaining my public" she enthuses.

Little Red Riding Hood

Tina Webster

Tina first came to the public’s attention as the little girl in the “Baby Soap On A Rope” ad on TV. Who can forget her performance, dangling fifty feet up by one leg? Little wonder this led to her next engagement- being tossed into a Queensland swamp as a crocodile lure (and dragged ashore by the feet) in the nature series, “Crocodile Hunting For Beginners”.

The Big Bad Wolf - Walter De Veere

Reynaldo Tee Bon

Taking the part of Walter De Veere (the Big Bad Wolf) in “Little Red Riding Hood,” Reynaldo, who prefers to be called “Rennie” joined the Company after a very impressive audition where he ripped the casting couch to shreds.

Rennie started in theatre quite young and appeared as “Junior Fox” in the “Little Theatre” production of “The Little Red Hen.” Regrettably, the production had to close early when so many chickens kept strangely disappearing and the Hens quit!

In his spare time, Rennie likes horror movies and hanging out in the countryside photographing chicken farms. He is also a paid up member of W.A.F.T (Wolves Against the Fur Trade).

Grandma

Eloise Marchant

Eloise began her theatrical career in the sixties joining “the Sisters of Sapho Players” funded by a Whitlam Government grant, to take great theatre classics to the Outback. After the fall of the Government and subsequent withdrawal of such subsidies, she appeared with many companies playing many of the great roles such as St Joan, in “Famous Girls of Kings Cross,” and “Sister Buttox” in “Noggins in the Nunnery.”

Mother – Little Red Riding Hood

Dorothea Lush

Dorothea has starred in numerous productions both in Australia and her native New Zealand. First coming to the attention of audiences in “Gone With the Tsunami” and “If It’s Tuesday It Must be Te Teko” she also has a fine singing voice and is remembered for her ground- breaking, one woman musical, “Gotterdamerung Before Lunch” and playing the lead in “Fanny Girl”.

Woody the Woodsman

Barton Grange

Formerly known as “Billy Smith” Barton believes his recent success and new contract has everything to do with his recent name change. In fact he’s so sure of it, he may even change his name again in the future if his career ever slows!

When he’s not on tour Barton likes to spend time around his home in Surry Hills with his flatmate, hairdresser, Terry. They have three cats – Bette, Marilyn and Tallulah and a large dog called Rustler, (whom they take shopping to the Paddington Markets on Saturdays).

Little Red Riding Hood’s Dog – “Porky”

Bottle-top

Bottle-top replaced original cast member, “Muffin” when Muffin left the Troupe to join an International Puppet Exhibition in Korea.

“Bottle-top” is “so called” because when he’s running away people say they see a bottle top.

The Enchanted Fairy - Fairy Nuff

Every respectable show should have their own fairy to spread the magic- and so we have engaged the services of Fairy Nuff.

Pictured emerging from a flower while performing in Korea, Fairy Nuff has had some cosmetic surgery since her return to Australia- and now has built in fairy dust that lights up in the dark.

Fairy Nuff is delighted to be back in Australia and has been flitting through her hosts' gardens as a magical egg, before transforming herself back into a full size fairy. She loved the attention she got during her Christmas and New Year's Eve shows...

Disco Koala - Dinky Dye The Disco Boy

Dinky danced his way into the hearts of Korean audiences in September and now he's back on home turf!

He's delighted that Australian audiences also appreciate his wild form of dancing and is looking forward to meeting some of Australia's senior citizens in the upcoming tours of retirement homes...