Hi All--

I am seeking information about an old vaudeville, British music hall gag.

It involves a (for lack of better terms) puppet theatre.

The "entertainer" uses his head and sometimes hands, but the rest of the puppet is small in scale and/or can be described as "miniature".

So basically a smaller sized puppet character that has a human head.

I saw this "bit" in a British magic book many years ago in The Magic Castle library and I want to say "the routine" was being explained by Bruce Posgate.

There were several characters explained in the book as well as workshop drawings on how to construct the theatre.

Any ideas?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks

Are you referring to a puppet in front of a curtain that uses your own head/hands but the body is small?

If so there have been many people to emulate this concept.

Thanks Jay.

I have just found out it is called a "humanette" puppet.

I am going to use the bit in a movie I am producing about vaudeville and silent film comics.

What I looking for are plans to construct the theatre.

I have just been sent a diagram of a theatre used on The Perry Como Show.

I know there is a magic book with the info I seek. I am back down to The Magic Castle library to look again tomorrow. Thanks to Bill Goodwin for all his help.

I was hoping someone might remember who published the British book I am talking about. Too bad Billy McComb's gone. He would know.

Oh well - I'll keep looking for the book.

Thanks for writing.

Forget the books, Ask Milt.

Check out Marc Weiner - he had a whole series of puppets with human heads in little dioramas. His show was Weinerville on Nick a few years back.