King Kong Marionette Puppet Presentation

Introduction to King Kong Puppet

• King Kong is a 20-foot tall, 2,400-pound marionette puppet.
• The puppet features a steel structure, akin to a skeleton.
• The design incorporates stretch muscle birds to achieve a muscular form.

Animation and Performance

• Kings Company Dancers:
  • Integral to bringing the puppet to life.
  • Manipulate Kong’s arms and legs, embodying his soul and thoughts.
• Mechanical Actuators:
  • Operate the puppet’s expressions.
  • Managed by three puppeteers on stage, each responsible for different parts:
    • Facial expressions
    • Shoulders and spine
    • Neck and voice

Voodoo Rig Controls

• Operated live by puppeteers for real-time performance.
• Includes a vocalist who controls the rig while vocalizing into a microphone.

Sound Design

• Developed by sound designer Peter Hill.
• Uses a magic "black box" to modify the vocalist's sound to resemble a gorilla, enabling live performance.

Performer Interaction

• Performers need to be aware and responsive to Kong’s actions.
• Interactions between Kong and Pandora are particularly emotive and rich.

Overall Impact

• The performance is epic and emotionally engaging.
• Encourages performers to be more present and attentive.