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SEEING EYE to eye — Norman Foote aad one of his puppet creations.

North Vancouver entertainer goes for
the laughs with off-the-wail puppets

OVE OVER,

PROBLEM: how to describe a man who trades lines with a
talking showerhead, sings of life’s fond remembrances and
discusses political ins and outs with a Brian Mulroney pup-

ERI

pet whose chin grows with every lie.

"I’m definitely off the wall,”’
says North Vancouver’s Norman
Foote, the man whose special
blend of comedy, puppetry and
music has made him a sought-after
entertainer.

“}’ve been doing this long
enough to know I have an addic-
tion for creating unusual charac-
ters; I like music, and comedy has
always been a thread running
through everything I’ve done.”

People may not know his name,
but they would likely recognize his
creations — the most popular be-
ing the street-entertaining duo of a
dim-witted logger named Slim and
his wife, Angel.

In Foote-creation Sasquatch and
Mr. Little — where a lumbering
sasquatch has bagged a hapiess
hiker — the antics of street per-.
former Sandy Jaffray as the cap-
tive have delighted everyone who
has seen the act.

Travelling through Australia

“singing in folk bars when he was
21, Foote, now 33, picked up pup-
petry — “I had to keep doing it, 1
couldn’t stop’? — asa diversion
from music.

Last month he was back Down
Under, using his mix of music and
puppet magic to thrill Expo 88

Dirty Harry

From page 16

tough, gritty show, but now it’s
borderline slapstick.

The Dead Pool is a game played
by the cast and crew of the latest
slasher film directed by
hackmeister Peter Swan (Liam
Neeson). Each participant makes a
list of the celebrities in San Fran-
cisco they feel is least likely to sur-
vive the year.

Swan’s list is uncannily accurate
as the names on his list start popp-
ing up in the morgue, victims of a
violent maniac. The investigation
led by homicide detective Harry
Callahan (Clint Eastwood) points
to Swan but Harry has a hunch.

A top T.V. newswoman
(Patricia Clarkson) follows the
Dirtman on the bloody trail, hop-

visitors.

Not comfortable with telling
jokes, Foote has created a niche
for himself by playing on the ab-
surd — as in the case of the talking
shower head to which no bodily
imperfection is secret or sacred.

Following the tradition set down
by pioneers such as Walt Disney,
Foote’s puppetry takes everyday
objects and with a combination of

STEPHEN
BARRINGTON

feature writer

good old-fashioned imagination
and technical wizardry brings them
to life. :

Next to be added to the list of
Foote creations is Michael Stand.
“he used to be called Mike Stand,

* but he changed his name because

he couldn’t make it in show
business — there are too many
Mike Stands around.”

With a self-titled album recently
released, Foote demonstrates his
versatility; with his television show
Footeprints expected to begin pro-

loses grit

ing to corner him into giving her
his life story. Hopefully, she’Il do
it before either the killer gets to
Callahan’s name on the list or a
vengeance-seeking crime lord does
the job for him.

Clint obviously doesn’t take the
character seriously anymore, nor
do the scriptwriters. Half a dozen
hitmen with Uzis can’t wrinkle Mr.
Invincible’s suit but he can termi-
nate them one by one without
reloading his Magnum. He also
has the habit of spouting one-liners
after each killing.

There is a clever and funny
variation on the car chase and
Clint’s twitching squint is always
good for laughs, but if he should
ever tire of the role, there’s an
English actor who hasn’t done
much since his spy pictures.

17 - Friday, July 22, 1988 - North Shore News

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duction in the fall, he will combine
all his talents under one umbrella.

‘*Sometimes I think comedy is a
cop-out,’’ he confesses. ‘‘I think,
‘(ll go up there and sing that
song,’ but then get out there and I
go for the cheap laughs instead.’’

He saddles his parents with the
responsibility for his quirky sense
of humor, and the trait could well
be passed on to his two daughters,
budding performers themselves.

For the future: a second album
is in the works, and new creations
are always stewing in the back of
his imagination.

Foote will perform in the Van-
couver Comedy Festival July 31,
Aug. 3 and Aug. 4 at Isadora’s
Restaurant on Granville Island as
part of a comedy showcase there.

For information, call {sadcra’s
at 681-8816 or the festival office at
681-5252.

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