Meet Martin Avril
Bonjour, Hello, Dobar Dan, Merhaba, Buenos Dias, Buongiorno, Privjet, that’s me, Martin Avril, the traveller puppet!
Nice to meet you! I have been travelling so much lately that it’s good to settle here in London. But it’s out of the question that I stop singing the songs I have learned from my trips all around the world and I hope that you like music because I would love to sing all of them with you all! That’s so exciting…
Do you know what is exciting as well? What I carry in my magic suitcase…Yes, it is quite magic, indeed, it’s always full of colors, scarves, instruments, various objects from my travels and I have also been told that it’s the favorite hiding place of all my friends, now that I know…
For me, the story telling is like a song, it has a rythmn and a nice cadence to follow.
Between singalongs, props, puppetry theater with myself (Martin, I am kind of a clown) and my puppet guests friends, live music throughout with our wonderful musicians, participative games (because I love playing) and also a song with the language of the country we are exploring that I have been taught by my puppet friends, to develop our curiosity and openness to different cultures.
Without forgetting of course our favorites nursery rhymes and dancing moves!
About Donia
Les Aventures de Martin Avril was created by Donia Joubert out of a desire to share her passion for different forms of arts like puppetry theater, singing, dancing and improvisation. She is a native French speaker graduated from a pluridisciplinary theater school in Paris where she has performed as an actress, singer and dancer.
“When I was a little kid, I was extremely shy, I couldn’t even reply to a simple “Bonjour” from the cashier. When I turned 10, just before 6th grade, my teacher was doing a weekly theater workshop with her students for us to perform a play at the end of the year : that was probably the biggest reveal of my life : I turned into a butterfly that day. All of that fear, all of that shyness went away when I was on stage!”
This moment has shaped the rest of her life and here’s Martin!
As a former Youth Leader and Nanny in France and UK, mainly for toddlers and babies, she has acknowledged how important arts are in children’s development and how receptive they are when we immerse them in a theatrical and musical universe with visuals, sounds, props and well-defined characters and guests.
After spending most of her times with musicians from all around the world, she wanted to include them in Martin’s adventure. This is how the traveller puppet will tell you his stories, with live music throughout from the countries he has explored. Each week, a new musician will play to make us travel, dance and sing.
As Martin is exploring a different country each week and therefore telling a new story, she has decided to build a strong identity around the classes for children to feel safe and familiar with the sessions, it includes powerful visual elements such as Martin (of course), the big suitcase, the magic dust & the colorful parachute. Also, you are going to need to row your boat or take your “Bateau sur l’eau” to come on board!
Mini Show
The Mini Show is suitable for schools, nurseries and birthday parties. Martin’s suitcase is full of objects that he has brought from his adventures all around the world…Oh! I can hear something coming from it…
Available in French or English