Episode 12 Dennis Murphy

Belly Button Lint

Dennis Murphy has been working as an independent puppeteer for over 30 years. Based in Old Toongabbie NSW, he is Australia's resident expert in Commedia Dell'Arte Puppetry.

Growing up in the prairies of Iowa, Dennis was fed on vaudeville and puppetry and has become a great ventriloquist and entertainer. His breadth of skills and his longevity come down to his intricate methods of research, which he describes as his 'obsessions' and his rigorous rehearsal and writing process when developing material.

Join Dennis and I as we discuss his penchant for coffee and book collecting, his incredible round trip to puppetry via a life that has seen him drafted into the army, qualifying as a Spanish linguist, converting to Buddhism and becoming a member of The International Brotherhood of Magicians.

And join us for our new segment - 'The Geek Out' where we discuss something that we can't get enough of this week.


Dennis' Book List


COMMEDIA dell'ARTE An Actor's Handbook by John Rudlin

TRICKS OF THE TRADE by Dario Fo

POPULAR PUPPET THEATRE IN EUROPE, 1800-1914 by John McCormick

THE ITALIAN PUPPET THEATRE: A History by John McCormick

PUNCH IN THE ITALIAN PUPPET THEATRE by Michael Byrom (actually about Pulcinella)

HUMOR AND COMEDY IN PUPPETRY: Celebration in Popular Culture eds Dana & Joel Sherzer

POPULAR CULTURE IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE by Peter Burke

STEP BY STEP TO STAND-UP COMEDY by Greg Dean

OTHER VOICES: Ventriloquism from B.C. to T.V. by Stanley Burns


Show Links


This is the Commedia dell'Arte page on Dennis' website:

International Ventriloquist Society


Where to Find Dennis