Forget Me Not

I was lucky enough to attend the latest show from puppet master Ronnie Burkett. I've been a huge fan of his since seeing his show 10 Days on Earth back in the day. Since then, he's practically been a staple at The Cultch, but with his latest production, Forget Me Not, Burkett takes us away from his home away from home and brings us to a "secret location" located in the bowels of Vancouver.

At 90 minutes with no intermission, Forget Me Not has all the things we've come to love about Burkett's shows (poetic soliloquies, gorgeously handmade puppets and marionettes, wry and biting humour), but it raises the bar with the stunning secret location as well as allowing every member of the audience to have their very own puppet for the evening!

The show is the usual mix of Burkett's intertwining tales, this time with a magnifying glass set on the state of today's world. There is also a new interactive element to the show, where the audience is not merely seated for the evening, but rather, running around the room chasing the story as it goes along. Some are even tasked with providing lighting for the puppets while others are instructed on when and how to turn on the musical soundtrack for specific scenes.

It's definitely a Ronnie Burkett experience like no other. Unfortunately, as with most of his shows, the rest of the run is completely sold out. This is why it pays to get your tickets early when you see that one of his shows is rolling into town! 

Forget Me Not is presented by the Cultch until March 1.