Panelist #1: Carina Hales

Carina is the Artistic Director of Players Theatre and Players Workshop, one of Singapore’s leading Children’s Theatre companies and production workshops for puppets, set and prop. She has over twenty years creating content for child and family audiences. Her passion lies in engaging the curiosity and boundless possibilities of a child’s imagination. Carina is a Director, Playwright, Production Designer, and specialises as a Puppet Designer, Builder and Puppetry Director.

Her expertise has seen her work with leading organisations like the Esplanade, Singapore Kindness Movement, Singapore Science Centre, Health Promotion Board, MOE and more. She is proud to be an alumnus of the O’Neill Puppetry Conference.

Panelist #2: Frankie Malachi

Frankie is a professional puppeteer and the director of Mascots and Puppets Specialists, a company that has created and choreographed puppets for television, theatre, media, government bodies, and many other institutions.  

Frankie’s puppet creations have been featured in various 
productions, like Broadway Beng 3 and The Little Shop of Horrors, in which his giant puppet Audrey II was later nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the Life! Theatre Awards 2006 – the first time a puppet was nominated in an acting category.  

A sought-after international performer, Frankie received the Silver Award for Best Artist (Group) and the Special Prize for the Preservation of National Art at the First International Marionette Festival 2008 in Vietnam.  

Panelist #3: Daniel Sim

Daniel is interested in objects in performance and the potential of their material and theatrical presence. He has designed, coordinated and/or made gadgets, puppets and props for shows such as The Son (2020), Urinetown The Musical (2019), The Great Wall: One Woman’s Journey (2017), ITSY – The Musical (2017), The Flying Dutchman (2016) and The Spirits Play (2015).

He also builds and has helped to create spaces for shows like Flowers (2019), Both Sides, Now: Closer (2018), MISSING (2018) and First Family (2017). Daniel is a member of The Finger Players Core Team and the programme manager for The Maker’s Lab. 

Panelist #4: Tim Lucas Tan

Hand-picked by Doc Zortian from Disney Theatrical Group, Tim was part of The Lion King Musical’s 3-man Puppet team when it first opened here in Singapore in 2011. His various tasks were fitting the actors, puppet mirror work, repairing and maintaining the Michael Curry Design suits used in the musical.

From that assignment, he moved to Universal Studios Singapore’s C-Tech department where the Transformer Autobot costumes and Velociraptors, also by Michael Curry Designs, were his primary charges.With his background experience and imagination, it has allowed him to bring to life movie and television prop replicas.

When Shanghai Disneyland broke ground in 2016 with The Lion King Musical as its resident show, Tim as Head of Mask and Puppets led the team there. He carries on that role now with The Lion King’s International Giraffe Tour.