Noted puppeteer Laurie Cannac looks to return to India

Renowned French puppeteer Laurie Cannac, who recently debuted in India with her one-woman theatrical show Wolfed Down at the ML Bhartia Auditorium, Alliance Française de Delhi, shared her excitement about the performance and her hope to return for future projects.

In an interview with Patriot, Cannac praised the warm reception she received and expressed a desire to explore the country further during her next visit.

“I greatly appreciate the audience’s warmth, spontaneity, and openness. The team at Alliance Française de Delhi has been incredibly welcoming. I am extremely happy to perform here,” Cannac said. However, due to a hectic schedule with rehearsals and ongoing projects in France, she was unable to explore much of India this time.

Despite the limited time, Cannac has aspirations to return to India not only to experience more of the country but also to engage with local artists. She hopes to participate in artistic exchanges and potentially conduct workshops.

“One of my dreams is to perform my upcoming show Invisible Stories in India. This show features the Sundarbans and has an international theme,” she shared.

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Cannac’s Wolfed Down performance, inspired by the well-known tale Little Red Riding Hood, centres on a young girl’s personal evolution, from the joy of freedom to its dangers.

“It is about her transformation from child to adult, but the audience can relate this transformation to many personal evolutions in adult life as well. That is why this show is for adults as much as for children,” Cannac explained.

Her unique storytelling and puppetry style have earned her international acclaim, with Wolfed Down being performed in over 15 countries.

“The reception has been wonderful. Since this show, like all my shows, is based on a tale, it resonates internationally. Most ancient tales are about humanity, transcending cultural differences and uniting us at our core,” she reflected.

A specialist in body puppetry, Cannac incorporates the use of her entire body to manipulate mostly life-sized human puppets. “This style is very open and offers a lot of opportunities to create new forms of puppets, which I enjoy. I also love the physical energy on stage, which is something I am very fond of,” she said.

Cannac’s journey with puppetry began during her school years through a workshop with a puppeteer from Philippe Genty’s team. “I began practicing puppetry in my theatre school and later started performing small shows on the streets,” she recounted. Her work gained recognition over time, and she began to perform at festivals and theatres. After a decade in the field, she collaborated on three shows with puppetry master Ilka Schönbein, from whom she learned extensively.

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Adapting her performances based on audience energy and cultural context is a hallmark of Cannac’s creative process. She explained that if a show is developed in a new cultural context, it can alter the entire creative process. However, when performing an existing show, she generally refrains from making significant changes unless there are cultural taboos to consider.

“I always try to connect with the audience, so the performance will vary slightly depending on their energy and mood,” she said.

Cannac also emphasised the importance of setup and preparation before each performance, typically requiring at least one day for rehearsal. “We ask for 15 different spotlights. The sound is very simple,” she added.

Ultimately, Cannac hopes that her audience leaves her shows with a personal and unique experience. “I hope they experience joy and perhaps a little fright. The meaning of the show is different for each person, as I layer my performances with various meanings. Depending on their age, life experiences, and even their mood on the day of the show, the audience will take away something unique. My wish is that everyone leaves having experienced the show they needed,” she said.

Reflecting on her time in India, Cannac found the local audience to be passionate and generous and looks forward to returning for future performances and deeper cultural immersion.