This May Day bank holiday, artsdepot reprises its family festival of performances,
workshops and music. Miriam Craig finds out about high-tech puppets and teaching children
to DJ
Stilt-walking, plate-spinning and drumming are just some of the activities children will be able to have a go at on Monday at artsdepot's May Play.
They will also be able to create their own carnival masks and piñatas filled with sweets, have their faces painted, listen to
stories, and watch circus performers showcase their talents.
In the level three bar, writer, producer, performance poet and DJ Charlie Dark will entertain children and their parents with My Dad is a DJ and My Mum is Too.
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The idea for the event came to him after he became a father; his daughter is three and his son is one.
He says: "It was the result of lots of parents I knew who were ex-DJs or musicians who became parents at around the same time. We were all thrown into this daunting new world."
Parents are invited to bring their own CDs to play, and children can learn how to DJ.
Mr Dark says: "It's like a big party for parents and their kids. We teach kids how to operate the turntable, how to mix two records together, how to scratch, how to queue the records up - how to get the party started and keep it going, basically."
Meanwhile, in the studio theatre, children can watch a new version of classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, which combines traditional wooden marionette puppets with blue screen technology.
Symon Macintyre is artistic director of Puppet Lab, the company behind the production. He says: "Traditionally, marionettes were used in a Victorian style and toured with a massive stage. We used to tour marionette shows, but in the end we couldn't afford to do it because the big sets were too expensive.
"In Beauty and the Beast we perform the puppets in a blue screen area on stage, then in another area we have a tiny set. Then a technician mixes the two together and projects them onto a big screen. And as well as sets, we've also
got wonderful animated backgrounds."
This production is the first time Puppet Lab has used the technique. Mr Macintyre says: "It's ground-breaking. The technology has become affordable and we're using it to take puppetry to the edge of what theatre can portray."
Yet the company is keen not to let technology get in the way of live performance. Mr Macintyre says: "Our one rule was we wouldn't have any pre-filmed puppets. Being able to see how the whole thing is put together is part of the excitement. You
are constantly flicking between the different areas of the stage. People love it. I'd like to think that's because we're good puppeteers as well though."
May Play will take place at artsdepot, on Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, from 11am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm). Tickets are required for some events, while others are free.
My Dad is a DJ is free and takes place at 12pm and 3pm. Tickets for Beauty and the Beast cost £8 (children £6), and shows take place at 12pm and 3pm. To book or for more information, call the box office on 020 8369 5454.
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