Description
You wouldn’t think that “genital” and “origami” would be in the same sentence, but in a world that combines comedy, nudity, and “Dick Tricks,” it’s bound to happen.
From the critically-acclaimed and wildly successful nude comedy theater show Puppetry of the Penis, comes a unique collectible booklet from its early days on tour. Entitled Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Art of Genital Origami, this item was a special keepsake distributed to guests at the live shows. No longer in circulation, it is a rare and exciting find for collectors. Since its debut in Melbourne, Australia, Puppetry of the Penis has toured internationally since 1998, and is still going strong today. Some of its audience members have included the likes of Elton John, Naomi Campbell, Victoria Beckham, and Hugh Grant.
In excellent condition, this collector’s item is a black and white photography flipbook. Featuring photos from Simon Morley’s original highbrow art calendar, this the second in a series of installations. This booklet’s images are from Installation No. 2, Wind-Up. The performer pictured is David “Friendy” Friend, one of the original duo (along with Simon Morley) of Puppetry of the Penis.
As of today most of the Western World has played host to PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS including Australia, the UK, the USA, Germany, USA, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Argentina and Switzerland.
Puppetry of the Penis was born when Simon Morley teamed up with fellow puppeteer David Friend. Their first show at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival was received as the “Outright Best Show”.
The name Puppetry of the Penis was originally conceived by Simon Morley, as the title of a highbrow art calendar. Released in 1997, the calendar showcased twelve of Simon’s favorite penis installations (known as “Dick Tricks”). Years before, Simon’s youngest brother, Justin, had shown him his first installation – ‘The Hamburger’. Natural sibling rivalry resulted in the evolution of a grand repertoire of genital gesticulations.
It was on New Year’s Eve in 1997, with a garage full of calendars to sell and burgeoning requests for live demonstrations that prompted Simon to team up with David “Friendy” Friend and unleash their talents on the world.
Friendy had already been keeping himself busy for most of the year, having created a solid business performing his repertoire of installations at Batchelorette/Hen’s night’s and private parties. As a young boy, Friendy began his Dick Trick career in the bath and developed his skills further when he discovered beer in college. After completing his degree in Computing, he returned to Melbourne with his own highly individual collection of hanging art. Together, Simon and Friendy’s solo “acts” became Puppetry of the Penis, and a global phenomenon was born.
Their debut at the 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival was a huge hit, kicking off an eight-month tour of Australia. The national tour covered 20,000 kilometers and was been captured in the documentary Tackle Happy.
Subsequent sell-out runs in Sydney and Melbourne encouraged the boys to take their wares to the 2000 Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, where they were humbled by yet another sell-out run. When a West End producer realized the potential of the show (after attending a performance where the woman sitting next to him wet her pants laughing), the world was no longer safe from the Art of Genital Origami! Contracts and mops were brought out, and a deal was made on the spot: PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS was on its way to London’s West End.
Initially booked for a five-week run at London’s Whitehall Theatre, the overwhelming response led to numerous extensions. The show finally closed after an astonishing five-month run. Simon and Friendy became the darlings of the West End, delighting London’s A-list including Hugh Grant, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Bono and The Beckhams.
Footnotes
To read more history about ‘“Puppetry of the Penis Show” Flip Book‘:
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Perfect gift for grandma!