Who is Pupperotica?
We are Josh and Keren, alternatively known as Josh the Pirate and the Mother of Bunnies, or Sonny Cummins and Lola Moore for the online streaming space or the burlesque community respectively. We are performers from Perth, WA and we are the filthy minds behind Pupperotica, Fringe’s naughtiest puppet show.
We’ve been performing together for nearly 2 decades and live for live performance. Pupperotica came out working in theatre in education as an escape from the wholesome, a way to release all the filthy jokes we couldn’t say in front of kids.
We also do live improvised fantasy story telling on Twitch on our own channel CorsairsCove and Keren’s Burlesque alter ego Lola has performed as far afield as London and Pannawonica.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
We love opportunities to go bigger and better, we also enjoy being able to help people and are looking to increase the amount of charity work we do. But essentially we are already doing the thing we want to be, we just wanna do more! We’d also love to make the show more accessible for example via Auslan interpreters and lean more into our sex and gender positive approach by creating a sexual education version of the show.
Who inspires you and why?
Honestly our inspiration comes from the weirdest of places! Everything from the original Star Trek TV series (the Gorn especially) to Stalinist Russian Literature and well-meaning but ultimately infuriating self-care advice. Josh reads a lot of sci-fi, Keren reads a lot of smut, it all comes together somehow! In a more general sense we are obviously huge fans of Avenue Q and The Muppets. We also make sure to rant on the regular about how problematic 50 Shades of Grey is to keep ourselves sharp.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Well, completely unrelated to Pupperotica we’d love to do something about the affordable housing situation or the war in Ukraine but closer to home we’d love to help people become more comfortable talking about sex in a positive and open-minded way. We both experienced the SHAME method when younger and can’t say it did much for us (or even really work.) At Pupperotica it’s about safe, pleasurable and consensual sex without shoving it down your throat (unless you ask for it).
Favourite holiday destination and why?
In the pre-pandemic days we won a week in a 5-star resort in Vietnam. And you guys. It. Was. The Best. The Vietnamese are lovely people, the beer is good, the food is amazing and the street sellers are polite and courteous. In Hoi An make sure you run into Han, he’s a legend and if a lady called Alice offers to sell you a custom outfit from her shop “just over there” go but be aware that Alice is a liar, or at least doesn’t really understand the English for “just over there”. Fortunately Keren has an excellent sense of direction so we weren’t endlessly lost. Basically it’s everything Bali is advertised as but nicer and cleaner.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
We are from Perth and both introverts so our normal approach would be to keep them in our house and ply them with BBQ, the pool and puppies, but when they eventually demand to leave we take them to the Swan Valley for wine tasting and chocolate.
What are you currently reading?
Josh is making his way through the Honor Harrington books by David Weber, occasionally mixing it up with some classic Battletech and chapters from How To, by Randall Munroe. Keren has a massive pile of unread smut and has just finished the graphic novel of Fight Club 2.
What are you currently listening to?
Keren listens to true crime podcasts pretty much constantly and Josh is a metal head, current favorite bands include Unleash the Archers and Peyton Parrish.
Happiness is?
A 2.5 year old Cavoodle/Schnauzer mix named Ciri with a tennis ball. There is literally nothing happier in this world. Nicknames include Pupperoo and Dopamina. Add this to an evening reading in bed, maybe with a glass of wine while listening to the rain? Forget about it.
What does the future hold for you?
Most likely 40-60 more years of anxiety and depression interspersed with taxes and eventually death. But on a less glib note Keren is currently developing her second feature film script for production and Josh is looking to collaborate with an indigenous group to create a role-play gaming source book based in indigenous myth. We are already brainstorming for Pupperotica 8, which is looking like it will be spy themed, prepare yourselves for Agent Double D 7!
Josh and Keren can be seen in Pupperotica: Seven Deadly Sins – which is currently playing in The Lark at Gluttony – Rymill Park, as part of the 2023 Adelaide Fringe, until 5 March. For more information, visit: www.adelaidefringe.com.au for details.
Image: Keren Schlink and Josh Walker are Pupperotica (supplied)