Marie-Martine
Ferrari left the busy city life of Geneva in Switzerland,
where she was a nursing sister,
to arrive in Australia. It was love at
first sight. Without speaking a word of english she learned the ropes
of becoming an Australian through her skills in puppetry and mask
theatre.
Her
experiences with the famous Theatre de la Lune Rouge in Geneva
and the commedia dell 'arte
company Puppi e Frezede in Florence,
brought a decidedly european flavour
to the Australian theatrical
landscape.
In
1984 she co-founded her own company "Skylark Theatre" in Canberra
which went on to gain
national and international recognition for its
innovative puppetry style and captivating
stories that always spoke to
the heart.
Among
their most popular shows "The Inside Story" reached out to
thousands of schools Australia wide.
So many children will never forget
the image of "Shanda" arriving in her space ship to take "Pipa" on a
journey
inside her body, and how she dealt with "Guilt " and "Anger"
until "Heart" and "Brain" reconciled.
On
the main stage, "Hip Hip Hippo" was an incredible journey into the
world of imagination
and their magical adaptation of C.S. Lewis story
"The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
was a treat for children of all
ages.
Other
productions:
Yodi
and the Yabbi - (environment)
Strangers
from Arkeb - (racism)
The Inside
Story - (self esteem)
Salty Seagull
Takes Off - (pollution-courage)
Tiny Pod and
the Silverwings - (inner beauty)
Mysterious
Egg - (adoption)
Scat Cat
(Caring for pets)
The Winter
Tree (Death)
Once Upon a
Time ( French, Italian and German)
Lion,
Witch and the Wardrobe
Quest of the
Dragon - (power of imagination)
Charlotte's
Web
Hip Hip Hippo
- (facing fears)
Marie-Martine
believes that puppetry is a fantastic vehicle to bring a
message, a wonderful
tool to teach and to overcome self
consciousness. Her communication skills and her
"joie de vivre"
makes her an excellent teacher.
Remember
Jim Henson of Muppet fame? That great master of puppetry
taught her many secrets
and like him, Marie-Martine believes that
nothing is impossible!
Moving
to Melbourne in 1994 she started her new company "Ferrari Puppets" with
Fabian Billerwell
touring "Hands on Hands
Up" and the "Mysterious Egg" throughout Victoria,
Western Australia, Tasmania and South
Australia for the next seven years.
Ferrari
Puppets moved to Queanbeyan in 2001 working with The Canberra
Institute of Technology
teaching puppet, mask and muppet-making
to adults.
In
2005 Marie-Martine and Fabian decided on a move to Tasmania and so
created their new company
Theatre of the Sun to encompass all of
their collected talents and influences
under this new umbrella
opening doors into new ventures.
Currently
Marie-Martine performs her one woman show called 'Once Upon A
Time' in Tasmanian Schools,
Libraries and Aged Care Facilities. She
also offers latex puppet-making worshops for adults in her studio.
Marie-Martine
also had training with international masters:
Jim Henson -
New York USA
Tobia
Ercolino - Firenze Italy
Erique
Jeanmomo - Geneva Switzerland
Eric Bass -
Vermont USA
