Neville Tranter, considered one of the world’s finest puppeteers, presents “Punch and Judy in Afghanistan”, which preserves the fun and directness of Punch and Judy plays while exploring a more profound theme: what happens when naivety and cynicism meet?

Nigel, a puppeteer, has come to Afghanistan to entertain the allied troops. His assistant, Emile, wants to make a sightseeing trip on top of a camel. The flashlight of Nigel’s camera scares the camel, who runs off in panic with Emile still on its back. They have disappeared in the direction of Tora Bora, where the wily Punch Bin Laden is based. Nigel’s search for his assistant leads him to Punch Bin Laden and to a situation of extreme danger. Besides the naive Nigel, we meet the heartless television reporter, who is only interested in scoops, and the nervous UN-soldier, who is completely out of place in these rough regions. The westerners are unadapted to the harshness of Afghanistan, while Punch Bin Laden and his bloodthirsty wife, Judy, seem to be in complete control of the situation. They amuse themselves with playing cat and mouse with Nigel. But had they ever counted on someone escaping to tell his story in Kabul???

Punch & Judy in Afghanistan is played behind and in front of a sort of traditional puppet theatre booth. It combines traditional elements of Punch & Judy with fresh, sharp satire and a masterful performance.

In his own brutal, ruthless but poetic way, Neville Tranter confronts the audience with their fears and dreams, urges and desires, personified by what are often life size talking puppets. Combining a minimal decor with sophisticated music, lighting and sound, using the oldest devices of the theatre, solo on stage with nothing but his puppets, Neville Tranter is capable of evoking images that the audience will not forget for a long time. His combination of down to earth humour, deadly seriousness and virtuoso puppetry has already made permanent converts of many who had presumed that for them, puppetry had nothing to offer.

… Tranter keeps to tradition using the old and known characters, but the way he portrays a current topic is fabulous….It is impressive how Tranter switches from playing an intimidated Nigel to giving voice to one of the puppets. His clash of cultures is often funny, but more often it is scary. Nobody gets away easily and the message is clear: Here are worlds clashing, that simply do not have a language in common.
- Alexandra Schröder, MAINZER RHEIN-ZEITUNG
3/9/09

… Guignol can find new ways, this showed theatre magician Neville Tranter with “Punch & Judy in Afghanistan” to an enthousiastic audience. … Tranter succeeded in making the audience laugh and at the same time make them think. This was the 8th time that Australian-born (Netherlands citizen) Tranter came to “No Strings Attached”. We are already eagerly looking forward to his next time here.
- Susanne Andriessens, ALGEMEINE ZEITUNG MAINZ
3/9/09

…Tranter’s Figures impress with their angular features and well-found characteristics in motionless faces. The eyes, eagerly staring or glowing in sensuality, impress like living souls, the mouthing technique gives expression in mime to these outrageous personalities. …

- Jürgen Richter, FRANKFURTER ALGEMEINE ZEITUNG
8/9/09

…..the Australian (puppeteer) is not scared of spicy humor. And he is not interested in political correctness, as he is freely using cliches about East and West. This works brilliantly as it fits in his anarchistic world, thus linking up with the Kasperl (Punch; Guignol) tradition. ….. compelling…

- Tom Thelen, WESTDEUTSCHE ALGEMEINE ZEITUNG 4/9/09

…The figures are a feast for the eyes. …the way they come to life, how they can change, how you forget that it is Tranter that gives them a voice. ….

- Ronny von Wangenheim RUHR NACHRICHTEN 3/9/09

About Neville Tranter:
Neville Tranter (1955, Toowoomba, Australia) completed his drama studies with the US director Robert Gist in Queensland in 1976, having also trained with the Billbar Puppet Theatre. He founded the Stuffed Puppet Theatre the same year. After the Stuffed Puppet Theatre had taken part in the Festival of Fools in Amsterdam in 1978, Neville Tranter moved to the Netherlands, where his visual and emotional adult puppet theatre developed to assume its present form.

AWARDS WON BY NEVILLE TRANTER
·         1989  Figurentheater Festival Erlangen prize / Germany
·         1994  Kleinkunstpreis der Stadt Wilhelmshaven / Germany for THE NIGHTCLUB
·         1996  Kleinkunstpreis der Stadt Schwerte / Germany for MACBETH!
·         2001  Best performance World Festival of Puppet Art in Prague /
Czech Republic for MOLIERE
·         2001  Sirene d’oro – Arrivano dal Mare in Cervia / Italy
·         2002  Jugendjury Preis – Synergura, Erfurt / Germany for MOLIERE
·         2004  Kleinkunstpreis der Stadt Schwerte / Germany for SCHICKLGRUBER, ALIAS ADOLF HITLER
·         2005  Wim Meilijnk prijs (award of the Dutch Puppetry Society)

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