The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon
Trailer
Synopsis
A gentle green dragon wakes from centuries of hibernation to find himself dropped into a world he doesn't quite understand. Ten-year-olds Matt and Sally — later joined by Terry, Julia, Mickey and Laura — become his guides and closest companions as they work through questions of environmentalism and friendship. Puppet characters like saxophone-playing Sammy the Toad and the grumpy Mr. Crabby Tree round out their world. From his colourful cave, sustained by an endless appetite for dragonberries, Dudley slowly discovers that family is something you find.
Context & Trivia
The character originated in 1983, when Karen Waterman created it on commission from the Ontario Ministry of Energy for a stage production called 'The Conserving Kingdom', designed to teach schoolchildren about energy conservation. The show toured Ontario primary schools from 1984 to 1987 and generated a television special in 1986. Alex Galatis performed Dudley as a full-body puppet from the very beginning — on stage and on screen — operating the character's head and mouth with his right arm and Dudley's left arm with his own left arm, a method closely related to the technique used for Big Bird on Sesame Street. Between seasons one and two the suit was modified so that Dudley's right arm could move via a fishing line; from season three onward a controllable eyelid mechanism was added, and Kirk Dunn took over as suit performer while Galatis continued voicing the character through the end of the run.
The remaining puppets were hand puppets performed by James Rankin, Sue Morrison and, in early episodes, Wende Welch. Rankin handled a notably large roster — Sammy the Toad, Mr. Robin, Grandpa Robin, Dodo, Junior Robin, Yammi, Bernardo, Kostus, Old Sammy, Radar and Rita — while Morrison performed Mrs. Robin and Rosie the Skunk, a role Welch had originated. Graham Greene voiced the cantankerous Mr. Crabby Tree and won a Gemini Award in 1994 for the performance, with a further nomination in 1998; Jackie Burroughs received a Gemini nomination the same year for her role as Aggie.
Puppeteers
Alex Galatis, Kirk Dunn, James Rankin, Sue Morrison, Wende Welch
Voices
Alex Galatis, James Rankin, Wende Welch, Sue Morrison, Patrick McKenna, Jackie Burroughs, Graham Greene, Martin Julien
Puppet building
Holli Rubin
Direction
Stan Swan, Richard Mortimer, Louise Shekter, Allan Novak, E. Jane Thompson, Sue Brophey, Darrell Wasyk, Jesse Collins, Ira Levy, Peter Williamson, Steve Wright
Cast
Daniel DeSanto, Asia Vieira, Graham Greene, Alex Galatis, James Rankin, Kirk Dunn
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