What's the most challenging puppetry you've ever done?
Farscape without a doubt, because of the number of people involved.
Getting up on a Saturday morning to do The Leprechauns: Mr Sage & Mr Onion
on Live & Kicking comes a close second. Try keeping Friday night down with
your arms in the air... if you get my drift.
What puppeteers/puppets do you rate most highly?
Jim [Henson] aside, I think Steve Whitmire has magic in his fingers, to take over a character like Kermit and keep so true to the original. Bill Baretta (he's inside Earl on the much
missed Dinosaurs) is a great, great suit artist.
And Donald Austen, who I've worked with for over ten years, he does Mr Sage. He can find an entire character with one tick. He's the puppeteer equivalent of Ronnie Barker. He
has helped me make up for my lack of skill by being my on-air trainer. (I nick his tricks!)
