Once again, Uggie the dog steals the show

STEALING the limelight from the human stars of The Artist is Uggie, George Valentin’s faithful dog, who even saves his master’s life. Incredible theatrical puppetry skills bring the little white dog to life and his waggy tail and gentle bark capture the audience’s hearts.

While dancer Thomas Walton brings Uggie to life on stage, it’s puppetry director and designer Maia Kirkman-Richards who pulled all the strings together backstage. In fact, she built a batch of Uggies to suit the assorted feats demanded of the pretend pooch, including dancing, carrying things in his mouth and moving in slow-motion.

Audience and critics alike have been amazed at how life-like Uggie appears. But they are also left wanting to know more about the real Uggie, who appeared alongside actor Jean Dujardin in the 2011 film of The Artist.