The acclaimed puppeteer and theatre artist Ronnie Burkett discusses Wonderful Joe, his new show at The Cultch (04-23 February 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Ronnie Burkett joins me now. The acclaimed theatre artist and puppeteer is about to open his latest show, Wonderful Joe at The Cultch. In the show, Joe and his dog Mister lose their home, and there’s the possibility of the two of them being separated. I’ll ask Mr. Burkett about the adventures that soon happen for Joe and Mister as they encounter Mother Nature, Santa Claus, Jesus, and the Tooth Fairy. It’s a show about community and empathy, and full of the warmth, imagination and hope that Burkett is known for, alongside a new score by John Alcorn. Ronnie Burkett is a lifelong puppeteer who received the 2009 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, the Herbert Whittaker Drama Bench Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadian Theatre, four Citations of Excellence from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionenette, among many other honours. In 2019, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and last year received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Wonderful Joe begins its run at the Historic Theatre at The Cultch tomorrow night, and runs until February 23^rd. Visit www.thecultch.com for tickets and information. We taped this interview a couple of weeks ago with Ronnie joining me from Toronto. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ronnie Burkett; Mr. Burkett, good morning.

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