Step inside Peggy Plummer’s living room, and nothing is quite what it seems. A couch cushion might suddenly start talking. A lampshade could sprout eyes. And the most absurd interactions have a way of sneaking up on you … with unexpected heart.
This is Peggy’s Place, the colourful, crafty puppet sitcom created by Toronto’s Morgan Joy and directed by Isaac Kessler, and one of the feature shows at this year’s What The Festival. As the city’s wildest celebration of drag, clown, and puppetry, the festival is a playground for both “strange makers” and anyone who grew up watching Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, or John Waters movies. Starring Joy, Dani Zimmer, and Bobby Knauff, and featuring musical accompaniment by Trevor Nelson, the show follows Peggy Plummer and her puppet roommates Hobart and Lenor.
At its core, Peggy’s Place is a nostalgic, yet offbeat slice of life. Framed like a classic after-school special filmed before a live studio audience, it stars Peggy Plummer — whom Joy affectionately describes as her “inner raccoon”: “I call her a raccoon of a woman because she is a survivor, she is territorial, she will show teeth if she isn’t happy and she will eat whatever doesn’t make it into your mouth and falls into your lap,” Joy laughs. The show also stars Peggy’s puppet roommates Hobart and Lenor. Together, they explore friendship, mischief, and everyday absurdities in a world where any set piece might at any moment spring to life … also in puppet form.
Joy’s path to puppetry grew out of pop culture and community outreach. “When I was a kid I wanted to be Bette Midler when I grew up,” she shares. “I loved singing, dancing and making people laugh, so performing came naturally to me. I was a kid of the 90’s so I grew up on all the classics: The Muppets, Mr. Dressup, Under the Umbrella Tree, Today’s Special and, like most kids, I fell in love with the openness and curiosity of the puppet characters.”
The opportunity to channel this love came through volunteer work – specifically Concerned Kids, a non-profit organization that offers volunteers an opportunity to perform puppet shows in schools. Performing with Concerned Kids opened Joy’s mind to what puppets are capable of doing, especially when handling tough topics, like bullying, racism and disability advocacy: “I really appreciated how the puppets seemed to hold a kind of magic that opened people up to ask questions and share stories that they otherwise might be too shy to share.”
Soon after, Peggy Plummer emerged as Joy’s bold and unapologetic puppet alter ego. “As Morgan, I can be a sensitive woman, and I am often very careful about what I say to other people. But when I play Peggy, I really get to tap into my creative impulse. I find playing Peggy to be very liberating. Peggy is a very confident person, and so she brings that out in me – which sounds funny to say because she is me. But when I embody her, I feel unapologetic and free, so it’s a very fun experience!”
And Joy’s hope is that audiences will feel equally unguarded in Peggy’s world. “When I invite an audience into Peggy’s living room, I hope that they feel welcome to be themselves, curious about the world I have created, and surprised by whatever is unexpected. And I hope that the audience can see themselves – or someone they love – in the characters who live at Peggy’s Place.”
Toronto has recently seen a surge of clown, drag, and puppetry on its stages – a movement that Joy links to our digital age, in which people are “craving real people, real props, and real experiences. Clown has no fourth wall, so the audience is inherently a part of the show. Their responses guide the clown and inform the experience for everyone in the room, so it feels like a conversation. I think people are drawn to that real connection because you can’t fake it – unlike so much of what we are fed online. Clown is an art form that is fueled by real emotion: the situation they may have found themselves in may not be real, but the clown is expressing emotion that we can all relate to. We feel connected to the clown, and we see ourselves in the clown.”
The bottom line, Joy believes, is simple: “In a post-pandemic, digital era, we are all looking for ways to really, truly, authentically connect.” And she feels that puppetry has a superhuman capability to deliver on that desire: “Puppets can change form. They can defy gravity. They can be aggressive and violent, or sexy, and steal our hearts. Puppets soften an audience, so they become more eager to play along with whatever game you are playing, or whatever story you are telling. They open a door to our imagination.”
And with puppetry, lack of money is not a barrier. Though she fantasizes about a Pee-wee’s Playhouse–sized budget, Joy revels in her low-fi aesthetic. “For now, I am building my props out of recycled junk and cardboard – and LOTS OF DUCT TAPE! I hope that people appreciate the DIY nature of my show: that it’s not perfect, it’s creaky, and the paint is cracking, but it’s still fully committed and ‘Full steam ahead!’ And I hope that at least one person leaves my show saying, ‘Hey, maybe I can do that, too’.”
While Peggy Plummer is the face of the show, Joy stresses how Peggy’s Place depends on teamwork. “I have performed this show with a rotating cast of people whom I love working with, and that is the real joy behind Peggy’s Place. The silliest moments in the show come from a collaboration among funny people who trust each other. This show wouldn’t be what it is without the input, the ideas and the passion from the players who play with me on stage. I dedicate this show to my cast and director!”
She also notes the flexibility – and the energizing unfinishedness – of the show, which is never done “transforming, growing and adapting”. The performance in What The Festival is less censored, as it is aimed at a late-night crowd – but she also performs a version of the show for adults with Developmental Disabilities who are non-verbal. This version supports the game-play with digital choice boards and more interactive props. She has even performed the show as a “squeaky clean piece” for children.
“I like to think that Peggy’s Place is not set in stone as any one thing.” Nor does she limit her ambitions to just this one show: “My dream is to build eight more shows and call them episodes. SO STAY TUNED!”
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine 2025
