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Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Australian Art of Genital Origami. Simon Morley, David Friend. Cocky Productions, 2010 - Humor - 80 pages. A few years ago, Simon Morley and David...
Mar 3, 2010 · The ancient Australian art of genital origami, Puppetry of the Penis, has returned to Los Angeles, with some new tricks added to the program. Not familiar with this form of...
Apr 22, 2003 · Intrepid Australian penis puppeteers Simon Morley and David Friend have taken the world's stages by storm, creating a runaway comedy hit unlike any other. They've performed their unique repertoire of "genital origami" for stunned, impressed and amused crowds around the world.
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- Color, NTSC, Dolby, DVD
- David Friend, Mick De Montignie, Simon Morley
- English
- Background
- Summary
- Productions
- Reception
- Controversy
- Analysis
- Adaptations
In 1996, Australian comedian Simon Morley created an art calendar that showcased close-up images of twelve penis 'installations'. The concept was based on Morley and his youngest brother's creation of a series of party tricks involving various contortions of their genitalia. In order to market the calendars, Morley devised a live routine. Morley's ...
The run-time for the performance is approximately one hour. The main acts are preceded by a 25-minute stand-up comedy act, with varying comedians in different productions. The majority of the show features a series of 'tricks', which are manipulations of the actors' penises into various forms. The creators describe this as "genital origami". The co...
Australian productions
The show debuted in 1998 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to sold-out audiences, where it won the "Outright Best Show" award. The success of the initial performance prompted an eight-month tour of Australia that covered 20,000 kilometres. The national tour was captured in the 2000 documentary Tackle Happy, directed by comedian Mick Molloy. Puppetry of the Penis returned to tour Australia in March 2001, with a new cast consisting of Daniel Lewry, Steve Harrison and Jim MacGregor,...
Overseas productions
In 2000, the creators performed the show at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, which was positively received by audiences. The show was then booked by a West End producer for a five-week run at London's Whitehall Theatre, but numerous extensions led to the completion of a six-month tour in London's West End.This was followed by performances in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Norway, The Netherlands, Argentina, Switzerland and Iceland...
Puppetry of the Penis has been noted for its controversial material amongst theatre critics and journalists. In a review of the production at the Whitehall Theatre in London, published in The Independent, Sarah Barrell said "[the show] is certainly one of the more playfully subversive pieces of theatre to come within reach of the capital's centres ...
Production bans
Performance shows outside the pornography industry that feature genitalia risk breaching obscenity laws, even when legitimatised as genuine works of art. The Puppetry of the Penis production employs practical measures, such as having performers stand with their backs to the audience, in order to avoid claims of public obscenity, and to enable the show to be performed in mainstream and civic theatres. In its production history, the show has faced bans from several international venues on the g...
The use of comedy as a method of subverting or critiquing traditional assumptions and social dynamics has been commented on by several theorists. Puppetry of the Penis uses theatrical and absurdist humour to deconstruct conventional representations of male genitalia. The show reduces the penis to a malleable object for the purposes of comedy, disas...
Book adaptation
The creators published an instructional book, entitled Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Art of Genital Origami, in 2000. It features photographs, accompanied by illustrations and text, demonstrating how to replicate 26 of the installations.
Director's cut
A Director's Cut version of the show was introduced at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2003. It featured new performers Brett Hartin and Aaron Bloomfield, and showcased home videos from the United States tour of the production.Subsequent performances began with a multi-media presentation of the show's development over the previous decade. They included video footage of original creators Morley and Friend on tour, performance highlights, and audience reactions.
Documentary
The initial Australian national tour of Puppetry of the Penis was the subject of the documentary Tackle Happy, directed and produced by Australian comedian Mick Molloy. The documentary focuses on the creators, Morley and Friend, and their production journey. It showcases the complications that the duo experienced during this time, including legal disputes, backstage tension and the difficulties of prolonged touring. The documentary is interspersed with dialogue from comedian Tony Martinand di...
Nov 20, 2000 · Puppetry of the Penis: the ancient Australian Art of Genital Origami. Paperback – 20 Nov. 2000. This title is the tie-in edition of the two-man cabaret, first seen at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Festival 2000 before moving on to the Whitehall Theatre in London's West End.
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- Paperback
- Simon Morley, David Friend
Nov 1, 2000 · Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Australian Art of Genital Origami Paperback – November 1, 2000. by Simon Morley (Author), David Friend (Author), Kathy Lette (Introduction) 4.4 58 ratings. See all formats and editions. A few years ago, Simon Morley and David Friend began performing their repertoire of "dick tricks" in Melbourne, Australia.
- Simon Morley, David Friend
Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Australian Art of Genital Origami. Simon Morley, David Friend. Prion, 2008 - Crafts & Hobbies - 80 pages. For the adventurous showman with...
