Soli & Rob with Alistair Ant!
He may be small, but Alistair Ant is a force to be reckoned with. This remarkably expressive purple puppet has oodles of personality and in the loving hands of puppeteer Soli Joy, Alistair navigates his way through life making plenty of hilarious and heart-warming mistakes, and a lot of young friends along the way.
Touted by Amy Verner in TORONTO LIFE magazine as one of the “biggest names in pint-sized entertainment,” Soli & Rob have written & performed 4 Alistair Ant shows, each one a captivating blend of puppetry, acting, dancing & original music. Alistair made his debut in the 2001 holiday production “Rainbows for the Holidays”. “Bigger the Better, said Alistair Ant!”, in which Alistair laments his smallness, broke KidsVenue audience attendance records at the 2002 TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL. Soli & Rob’s entry in the 2004 Fringe Fest, “Double Trouble for Alistair Ant” was selected as a critic’s pick by the TORONTO STAR and takes audience members on a gentle ride through friendships forged, broken & mended.
These shows, along with 2006’s outer space adventure “Happy Birthday, Alistair Ant!”, have been successfully mounted at the Solar Stage Theatre – which has presented over 60 Soli & Rob performances – The Metro Toronto Zoo, daycare centres, schools, libraries, book stores, corporate events, and festivals including Canada Day 2005 at Downsview Park and the Harvey Kalles Spring Fest.
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Soli & Rob have sold over 2000 CDs since the release of the “Bigger the Better” CD Storybook in 2003. Their second recording “Double Trouble for Alistair Ant” came out in 2005 and featured the work of Canadian artist Daniel Ferguson. The third Alistair Ant disc, “Happy Birthday, Alistair Ant!”, was released in the fall of 2007. Each recording includes a colourful read-along storybook, narrated story and all the songs from the live shows. Ferguson’s stunning illustrations go a long way towards making the 2-dimensional Alistair every bit as appealing as his 3-dimensional counterpart.
The magic that gives Alistair and friends their artistic edge lies in the marriage, both legal & creative, of former Shadow Puppets guitar player Rob Joy and Swedish/Canadian actress Soli Reid. Blessed with kid-magnet charm, Soli’s clear & bright singing voice – both as human & ant, Rob’s smooth vocals & infectious musical creations, and an obvious knack for story, Soli & Rob put on that rare show that leaves adults and kids smiling for the same reason – it’s great entertainment.
"Toronto's #1 Children's Entertainers"
CITY PARENT MAGAZINE’S Readers' Choice Awards 2008
“Soli and Rob Joy are polished children’s performers…reminiscent of kid’s TV shows”
EYE MAGAZINE
“The Joys are a joy when they sing…”
TORONTO STAR
"This entertainment for parents and tots features bright visuals and songs of award-winning calibre."
EYE MAGAZINE
"The lessons learned by Alistair have been applied many times already to incidences in our classroom… you have imprinted yourselves on their memories for life."
Diane McKinlay, Kindergarten Teacher
Press inquiries: Catherine Hume – phn: 647-299-5549, e-mail: catherinehume@rogers.com
Booking inquiries: Soli & Rob - phn: 416-929-1310, e-mail: info@alistairant.com