“When Animals do something that we like we call it natural. When they do something we don't like we call it animalistic” J. D. Weinrich 

 

Maybe the big bad fox is a puppetry saga exploring the lives of nonhumans through the lens of materials, movement, costume, music, and choreography.

With a bunch of things and songs, human puppeteers animate a world where animals, bacteria, and plants are telling stories about different kinds of families, different forms of life, and different ways of being with others. Through an ever-growing series of short episodes, the puppetry saga composes and composts stories about a multi-natural world.

 

Based on Benjamin Renner's book “Le grand méchant renard”, the project gathers four makers Fredrik Floen (costume designer), Simon Asencio (visual artist), Sigrid Lerche (musician, visual artist), and Alexandra Tveit (choreographer) to explore the medium of puppetry in order to challenge their practice, the aesthetics of object theater and the parameters of reception at work in children theater.

 

The aim is to create a flexible performance (in format, duration, and set) to meet children in different contexts and locations: institutions, living rooms, gardens… The episodic format, the adaptable setting (an expandable textile map that functions both as a stage, backdrop, backstage, and support for the stories), and the narrative structure of the saga (many narratives cohabiting to form a larger one) will allow us to keep the work alive and stay in the position of researchers.

The performance is co-funded by the Norwegian Art Council, supported by the Fund for Performing Artists and co-produced by DAVVI Center for performing arts (NO),  Grenland Friteater (NO) and PAF - Performing Arts Forum (FR)