"Puppetry of the Penis"

Thanks to Vue Weekly, Annie and I got to see a show on Thursday night at the Winspear that has travelled the world over: Puppetry of the Penis.

Given that the tickets were free, I didn't expect that the seats would be so close - orchestra right, sixth row back, aisle seats. Looking around, I didn't see the 60- 40 gender split I expected after reading an interview with one of the Aussies who started it all - there were way more women, sprinkled with just a few gentleman that looked like they were trying their very best to blend into the crowd.

The act started off with a very funny comedienne from Hamilton, Ontario, whose name has slipped from my memory. My favorite bit of her act was when she declared that she had wanted to fit into a new dress she purchased by the time of tonight's show. With a flourish, she took off her jacket, revealing her dress, raised her arms, and announced that she had done it, receiving cheers from the audience. When she turned around to get some water to drink, we were treated to the pins barely holding the garment together, with full view of her Paul Frank underwear.

After a rather lengthy intermission, we were finally treated to the main act - Martin and Dan, two young Australian blokes with fairly diluted accents, came out onto the stage each wearing a cape. Energetic, enthusiastic, and of course, not at all shy, the two men used many a term over the course of the evening to describe their exercises - including "penis installations" and "dick tricks". With a camera positioned just below the stage projecting everything onto a screen behind the performers, even those in the upper and dress circles were able to have a good view of the "puppets".

Though I shouldn't have been shocked to see what I did, I can't say I was entirely ready to know that it was possible to stretch, scrunch, bend, fold and twist the male anatomy into the shapes such as the Eiffel Tower, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a sea anemone. Annie's favorite was the snail, and well, I don't think I had a favorite. For those curious, the show does sell a do-it-yourself handbook that will show, with step-by-step instructions, how to form 26 penis installations in the comfort of your own home.

It was an interesting experience, I will admit, but one you do have to be entirely prepared for in order to fully enjoy.