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From The Ebor Marionettes Publicity Leaflet: These Marionettes, designed and made
by a professional sculptor, avoid the caricature of many
European puppets. They are not uncomfortably
stylised and so are acceptable to people of all tastes
and cultural standards. In the little theatre in
Chiswick, a very mixed audience enjoys them - highbrows,
lowbrows, adults, children, artists, businessmen, poets
... Their repertoire includes plays, fantasies, musical
items and a dozen separate items of variety.
Puppets by John Bickerdike
Costumes by Doris Bickerdike
Scenery by John Bickerdike & Rhoda Dawson
Puppeteers & Speakers: Doris Bickerdike,
John Bickerdike
Rhoda Dawson & Christine Fletcher (Christine Glanville)
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Ebor Marionettes Publicity Leaflet |
British Puppet & Model Theatre Guild Archives |
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A typical programme at the Guardship
Theatre (which seated approximately 50 people), would be
made up of a selection from plays or operas such as
those mentioned above or chosen from a large repertoire
of lighter items such as "Little Wendy, the Accordion
Wonder", "Gypsy Violinist", "Witches Frolic" or "The Murgatroyds sing Opera."
In an excerpt from Eric Bramall's
(unpublished) autobiography in The Puppet Master
Magazine, Autumn 1996, Eric comments:
"...Then there were the Ebor Marionettes,
run by Doris and John Bickerdike and their son, a show
which commanded my total admiration. John, who
made all the puppets, was a professional woodcarver of
the highest order. He specialised in the creation
of exquisite figures of angels and other religious
figures for the adornment of cathedrals and churches.
Doris, his wife, was without doubt, the most skilful
marionette manipulator I have ever known. On a
number of occasions, I operated puppets in their show
and every time I felt it was an honour to have been
asked. I learned a great deal from Doris, partly
by listening to her advice and partly by watching her
working."
Doris Bickerdike adding
finishing touches to a marionette wig
From the October
1947 edition of "The Puppet Master" Magazine
THE EBOR MARIONETTES
by Mrs P Fletcher
I
recently had the pleasure of visiting the Marionette
Theatre of Mr & Mrs Bickerdike, established at The
Guardship. The large and lofty studio struck
me as being excellent for the purpose of a Marionette
Theatre. There is ample room for the audience of
fifty or more and the stage occupies the centre portion
of the studio. The proscenium opening is draped
with gold crushed velvet curtains and an embroidered
drop curtain. Behind, there is a large workshop,
suitably equipped. Some of the puppets I saw in
course of construction were very fine. The walls
of the auditorium are decorated with many interesting
photographs, costume designs and puppets, some original
scenic designs by Mr Bickerdike, a number of items of
historical interest, as well as many sheets of
characters of our well-loved Penny Plain Twopence
Coloured Model Theatre.
On
the evening of my visit, the first part of the programme
included Sea Cave, a Fantasy, Dresden China,
a Dream, The Witches Frolic, a Nightmare and
The Murgatroyds sing Opera, a Burlesque Ballad Act.
Following this, came A Cabaret, featuring 1:
Pippin, 2: Wendy, 3: George Tapps,
4: Solo from the sands and 5: Anna Steps Out.
The final item was a scene from Richard Brinsley
Sheridan's immortal comedy, The School for Scandal.
'Anna' is the perfection of movement. This puppet
is beautifully made and in the expert hands of Doris
Bickerdike, becomes vividly alive. 'The
Murgatroyds' are delightfully amusing. The head
movements of the gentleman of the duo conveys an
illusion of ever-changing expressions chasing each other
across his seemingly mobile features. |
