AFTER honing his skills as a teenager in Newcastle, puppeteer Murray Raine has gone on to become one of the country's most successful performers.
Raine could easily be described as Australia's answer to Jim Henson and has been engaged in the magic of puppetry from a tender age.
He developed his love for puppets at age six after watching a performance by the Marionette Theatre of Australia.
He went on to join puppetry classes at the Newcastle Young Peoples Theatre where he earned the first and only scholarship in puppetry.
At 10, he became one of Australia's youngest puppeteers.
For the past decade he has toured all across the country including a stint in the $10million stage production of Pan which was co-produced by the Jim Henson Company.
In 1996, Murray set a new record when he became the first puppeteer to win the prestigious Australian entertainment industry's Mo Award for best visual act.
Raine's show brings together both puppetry and music in a 30-minute stage show featuring 25 colourful marionettes, glove and rod puppets.
The life-size puppets have been personally created by Raine.
For a personal touch, each puppet has its own character and special talent.
Pop stars and other stars are given a puppet make-over by Raine. He has won a number of Mo Awards for his caricatures of Tina Turner, Pavarotti, Madonna and Cher. Raine and his puppet friends will be on stage at Belmont 16ft Sailing Club from 11am today.
Entry is free.
Raine will be supported by singer and guitarist Ronnie Monks.
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