Peter Sweet and Leonie Baker's new theatre company, tiny colossus, presents Foolish Doom: a tragicomedy about the climate debate.
Leonie Baker
Musician and dancer with a passion for puppetry
Throughout my life I have continually been driven to create, exploring the world around me through dance (jazz, tap, modern, ballet, swing dance), piano, print-making, writing and animating objects and puppets. My formal arts training began at age 4 with classical piano and ballet lessons, which I continued through to RAD Grades 8 and ABRSM Grade 7 respectively. At school I was awarded an A-Level Art Scholarship and a place to study Art Foundation at Falmouth University. I did not take up the offer, in favour of an MA hons Degree in Classics at Edinburgh University.
Since graduating in 2017, I have been working as an arts producer for national and international performing arts organisations, helping to shape the structures and networks in the dance and theatre landscape. Parallel to my career as a performing arts producer, I have been making music, dancing as well as training in physical theatre with Peter Sweet and Matteo Destro.
Peter Sweet, international circus and theatre performer, and I are joining forces as performers, co-creators and producers to form the new theatre company, tiny colossus.
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Examples of visual artwork by Leonie Baker
Examples of visual artwork by Leonie Baker
Examples of visual artwork by Leonie Baker
Examples of visual artwork by Leonie Baker
Examples of Visual Artwork
Peter Sweet & Leonie Baker, Nov. 2021
Peter Sweet & Leonie Baker, Nov. 2021
Matteo Destro
Peter Sweet & Leonie Baker, Nov. 2021
Current work in progress:
Foolish Doom - a tragicomedy about the climate conversation.
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Emerging from the realm of our collective imagination, from the space between the dreams of adults and the world of children, the wizard Burnhart and his loyal creature Pippa arrive with the lofty ambition to save the world. They sense that the Earth’s pulse is raging out of control. When they arrive they find a cacophony of human voices in conflict with each other and no solution in sight. So they call a council to speak to the people. In Foolish Doom, Burnhart and Pippa invite the audience to join the Council of Humans to save us from our own doom!
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We will be bringing together contemporary mask-theatre, comedy, found-object puppetry and live music in an interactive performance that inspires us to rethink how we talk about climate change.
So far we have carried out research into the topic of climate change and communication theory, taking a deep dive into the voices of diverse stakeholders in the climate conversation. Together with our chosen director and mask-maker Matteo Destro, we have embarked on the initial phase of the collective, devised creation process, by starting to develop the two main characters using methods of improvisation.
To support the further development of the characters, costume designer, Antonia Munaretti, has created rough prototypes of the costumes and Matteo Destro has crafted experimental prototype masks, which lie between half-masks and face-prosthetics - see photos in the gallery.
BOOM!
Directed by Matteo Destro
Co-Created and Performed by Peter Sweet and David Poznic
Breathing new life into the ancient tradition of masked theater, Peter Sweet and David Poznic portray a troup of 6 characters who put on an entire circus. With impossible skills, live music and heart-touching drama, they tell the story of this hilarious cast of would-be circus stars.
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C'est La Vie
Directed by Matteo Destro
In this short video Matteo Destro speaks about his creation process as a mask maker and director with examples from his work with theater companies ArtiVarti and Compagnie Ad Hoc (Italy/France).
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Meet Pete
Created and Performed by Peter Sweet
Meet Pete is a hilarious display of danger, charm and technical virtuosity. Incorporating slack rope acrobatics, juggling, singing and dancing into his show, Pete Sweet weaves together his diverse physical skills with unbridled comedy. While his wild antics have astounded audiences in more than two-dozen countries worldwide, it is his warm, generous humanity and exuberant love of life that opens their hearts.
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Previous works by our creative team
Peter Sweet - Career Hightlights
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Tete a Tete, Rastadt, Germany
Kleiness Fest, Hanover
, Germany
Comedy Arts Festival, Moers
, Germany
Via Thea, Görlitz
, Germany
Sommer Szene, Saarbrucken
, Germany
Kultursommer, Ludwigshaven, Germany
Gauklerfest, Koblenz, Germany
La Strada, Bremen, Germany
Neues Theater, Frankfurt Hoechst, Germany
Internationales Straßenkulturfest, Nordhorn,


 Germany
Just for Fun 2007 Darmstadt
, Germany
Viva-Cité 2011 Sotteville les Rouen
, France
Les Accroche Coeurs, Angers, France
Les Zaccros d‘ma rue, Nevers, France

Les Rias, Pays de Quimperlé, France

Fest’Arts, Libourne, France

Parade(s), Nanterre, France

les Rues Joyeuses, Tourcoing, France

Les Éclectiques, Carvin, France

Fete Dans La Ville, Amiens, France

The London City Opera House, London, England
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York, USA
Porsgrunn Int. Theater Festival, Porsgrunn, Norway
Out There Festival, Great Yarmouth, England
Waterford Spraoi, Waterford, Ireland
Festival of fools, Belfast, Ireland
Žongléros Ansámbl, Pilsen, Czech Republic
Waves Festival, Vordingborg, Denmark
Festival de la Juventud 2008 Torrelavega, Spain
ULIKA Int. Street Theatre Festival, Krakow, Poland

Leuven in Scene, Leuven, Netherlands


Bruneck Festival, Bruneck, Italy

World Busker’s Festival, Christchurch, New Zealand
Toronto International Buskerfest, Toronto, Canada
Weiwuying Circus Arts Festival, Kaosiung, Taiwan
Nyepi Festival 2001 Hard Rock Hotel Bali, Indonesia
Rock The Buckets Festival, Sydney, Australia
Da Guan Yuan Theater
, Bejing, China
Artisti Di Strada, Ascona
, Switzerland
Oerol 2006 Terschellings
, Netherlands