Reporter's Diary

Press, 1 September 1980, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Puppets . . .

GOGGLEBOX Enterprises is not, as some might easily suppose, anything to do with television. It is a small puppet theatre show which has been visiting primary schools in Christchurch this year, at the rate of about one a week, delighting the children with puppet shows and teaching them how to make their own papier mache puppets. During these school holidays, Gogglebox Enterprises; presented'its puppet show in- the Riccarton Mali, keeping the- children amused while their mums got some shopping done.

. . . on a shoestring THE IDEA for a travelling puppet show came from Mrs Juliet Brodie, a for.

mer teacher who spent some of h e r time in the classroom showing pupils how to make papier mache- puppets. The arrival of a baby daughter pen suaded Mrs Brodie to give up her teaching job. But she missed the classroom, so she set up the puppet show on a shoestring budget and enlisted the help of another former teacher, Mrs Susan Snelgrove. Between them, they make all the puppets (they have about 20 now), write the, scripts for the shows, and work the puppets themselves. They have life-size, shadow, and glove puppets for different segments of the- show. After a per-' formance,- they show the children . how - to make puppets for their own shows; -

Actors in search... A GROUP of enthusiastic young Christchurch people are ■in the middle of producing a rock opera — but they have lost their director. In June this year, says Mr Terry O’Cain, spokesman for the group, they responded to an advertisement for young people who wanted to take part in a rock opera. Quite a crowd attended the auditions,, and those who showed enough ability then met again the next week to begin rehearsals. The whole scheme was the idea of a Greek man, they knew only as “Chris”, and who said that he was forming an association. He called it “The Originals,” and a committee and executive was elected, including a treasurer. The treasurer and “Chris” were empowered to use the group’s cheque book. “Chris” said he would put up some money, and each group member paid in $5 . . . . ..of a director REHEARSALS went ahead, but last week several strange happenings led group members to suspect that all was not well. They found that “Chris” had vanished. So now, half-way through rehearsals with a rock musical which they believe is too good to abandon, about 30 young people involved are looking for a new director, a choreographer, and some sponsorship. They know they have a long row .to .hoe. But, they say, they are still keen enough to try. If anyone . wants to help them, they should telephone Mr Rex Granger (859-147) who has taken over temporary leadership. Needing guidance Who will guide the guidance counsellors? asks a reader of/the London “Financial Times” news-, paper. A company executive telephoned the occupational guidance unit of Manpower Services Commission; • a lairge employment agency in Britain, for help on behalf of l a number of older employees who had been made redundant, by, . his company. “Sorry, mate,” said the person from the occupational guidance unit. “We are all redundant ourselves this coming Friday. It’s diabolical . . . we’ve never been busier.”