When I was a child, my father made me a puppet stage. I had a collection of hand puppets and marionettes and would put on shows for friends and have maintained a keen interest ever since.

There has not been a plethora of puppet theatre productions since the iconic Tintookies made the genre famous in the 1960s. So naturally, I was keen to see this solo puppeteer and his creations, especially when they are in drag!

They Came From Uranus is a puppet show meets glam drag, starring Murray Raine as the solo performer and puppeteer.

It features two large green aliens located either side of the puppet-stage. Each has a cut-out where the face should go. The left alien’s face is used for the recorded narration, and the right alien’s face is used for shadow puppets.

Raine performs from inside a puppet theatre in the centre which has a pink neon sign above it reading “Busty Barb’s”. This is where Raine’s “Humanette” puppets strut their stuff.

These puppets have short bodies but a human face! Raine’s face is the face of the puppets. He’s in a black suit, drag make-up, and wears hats, wigs and cardboard cut-outs.

My favourites are Sonny and Cher (“I’ve Got You Babe” and “If I Could Turn Back Time”), the cat (“Pussycat Song”) and Lady Gaga, complete with her famous meat dress (“Born This Way”). Even the alien intent on invading Earth has his/her own number.

They Came From Uranus is a production loaded with glam, sex and alternate lifestyles and  borrows heavily from the best of B-grade sci-fi movies.  It is more than a puppet show, it is a comment on life…….especially social influencers!