Eight year old Kellie doesn’t feel like she fits in until she receives a gift that talks on its own! Kellie meets Magrau, a chatty puppet who makes people laugh. When Magrau signs them up for the school talent show Kellie is mortified. The advice from Magrau? Never give up! Kellie learns that success is like learning how to ride a bike – you’re going to fall down a few times on your way. This multi-media show opened to rave reviews at the Vancouver International Puppet Festival in 2018 and has toured schools and theatres in British Columbia and Alberta. This production is inspired by Kellie’s own experiences having Tourette Syndrome, performing at her school talent show on stage where her symptoms of TS went way and she found her talent. 

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Kellie Haines started talking to her puppets at the age of 8, and when they started talking back she knew she had a show.  Now a seasoned ventriloquist, puppeteer and family entertainer, Kellie’s repertoire of shows combines witty repartee with puppet characters everyone can relate to, songs you can dance and sing along to, and engages important themes such as believing in yourself, embracing diversity and celebrating nature. 

“Puppets have stories to tell,” she has said, “and they can bring out voices and characters from inside us that we didn’t know were there!”  Kellie was invited to consult, perform and present workshops at the Museum of Anthropology in BC during their exhibition of Shadows, Strings and Other Things. Kellie has a BA in Drama and a background in singing and clowning. She performs at festivals, and in schools and theatres across Canada. She has also shared her puppetry talents on TV productions including a Jim Henson TV show Turkey Hollow. Kellie was thrilled to represent Canada at Vent Haven International Convention 2019 in Kentucky, USA. Kellie’s shows are hilarious and full of spontaneity, and her technical skills with ventriloquism invites her audiences to experience storytelling in a unique and magical way.  Even adults wonder who is pulling the strings!