Puppet and Character Roles
Small Fear Puppets
Clay and Paper Theatre does not necessarily assign specific fear names to the Small Fear puppets , unlike our Big Fear puppets that represent very clearly identified fears. These Small Fears are our gremlins and little devils that keep us up at night. The Small Fear puppets are rod puppets or tomato cage puppets which means they are fairly light. Rod puppets fit into a pouch you tie around your waist. Most of these puppets are great for kids 10 and up and all are appropriate for adults. We have 25 Small Fear puppets that participants can borrow for Night of Dread on Saturday, October 25th and be part of the parade and pageant.
Get a head start on your Small Fear puppeteering prep by checking out our videos in our Puppeteering Tips section, available on this site by September 15th, 2025.
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You can book your rod puppet or tomato cage puppet over email at: volunteer.clayandpaper@gmail.co. Or call us at 416-708-3332 if you have any questions.
During the month of October, Clay and Paper Theatre will be set up for our Night of Dread residency at the Dufferin Grove Park Rinkhouse, from October 3rd to 25th, 11am to 8pm. If you would like to look at any of the rod puppets beforehand, please come and visit us onsite. Email us or ring us ahead of time so that we know you’re coming.
FOR THE EVENING OF NIGHT OF DREAD, Saturday, October 25th, you will need to arrive at Dufferin Grove Park for 4:30PM to pickup your puppet and learn how to wear it.
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We’ll need you at Dufferin Grove Park for 4:30 PM on Sat., Oct. 25th, 2025 to approximately 7pm.
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When you arrive at Puppet Central (the Dufferin Grove Park Rinkhouse), Puppet-Masters and/or Production Assistants will retrieve puppets for Volunteer Puppeteers. They will help you get in and out of your puppet, as well as provide you with basic coaching and helpful puppetry tips.
You will then be shown to your assigned place for the parade by an Event Manager. There you will wait for the parade to begin alongside your fellow volunteers, parade bands and Clay and Paper Theatre staff.
PLEASE NOTE: We ask that you arrive at your assigned times (and even earlier) to help event and production staff meet their staging schedule and ensure that the whole event is executed smoothly. There will be many people volunteering and we want to give everyone the time they need to get ready and ask questions.
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Large and Small Fear Puppets, you will be part of the Night of Dread Pageant.
Once the parade has begun, follow along in your assigned spot and make sure to listen to any Parade Marshals (They’ll be wearing high visibility vests.). Please stay with your entire Small Fear puppet group for the entire parade. It’s a much stronger and impressive image when you get to see all of the Small Fears wandering the dreadful streets together And have lots of FUN! Move and animate your puppet and dance to the live parade music.
When you and your fellow puppeteers return back to the park from the parade, you will be escorted by your Puppet Spotter or a Production Person to wait beside the pageant performance circle (This big circle will be made up of glowing candles.)
The pageant will be narrated by the MCs, the Masters of Ceremonies, Tamara and David. After greeting the audience, the MCs will introduce our Big Fears first. They will parade out individually into the performance circle. And then the MCs will introduce the Small Fears together. That means that the Small Fear puppets will go around the circle as a group.
When the Pageant MCs introduce you, the Stage Manager will also give you your verbal cue. When this happens, you will make your way around the pageant circle and the audience will boo and hiss at all of the fears. After making your way around the circle once, you will return to your puppet waiting place.
After all of the Big Fears and Small Fears have been announced, Clay and Paper Theatre performers will then animate the main Fear of the Year scenario.
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After the parade and pageant, you will drop off your puppet at Puppet Central to one of the Event Managers or Park Managers. This will help us ensure a swift clean-up of the space and a safe return for anything borrowed from Clay and Paper Theatre.
After this, your role for the evening will have come to an end. Feel free to stick around and enjoy the Night of Dread installations and check out the onsite City of Toronto Parks and Recreation Café.
Thank you for your help during the procession and pageant!
Big Fear Puppets
The Big Fears are a huge component of the Night of Dread Parade and Pageant. You represent our major fears as a community, locally and globally. In fact, many of these puppets were a Fear of the Year from a previous Night of Dread (e.g. “The Fear of Censorship”). We call these puppets backpack puppets (meaning they are worn like a backpack) and they require some skill, strength, dexterity, and dedication. For this reason an experienced puppeteer is preferred, but its not a requirement. You will be wearing the puppet for about an hour (before and during the parade and pageant). These puppets are appropriate for adults.
Check out the Gallery of Big Fears below.
Get a head start on your Big Fear puppeteering prep by checking out our videos in our Puppeteering Tips section, , available on this site by September 15th, 2025.
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You can book your Big Fear puppet over email at: volunteer.clayandpaper@gmail.co. Or call us at 416-708-3332 if you have any questions.
During the month of October, Clay and Paper Theatre will be set up for our Night of Dread residency at the Dufferin Grove Park Rinkhouse, from October 3rd to 25th, 11am to 8pm. If you would like to look at any of the Big Fear puppets beforehand, please come and visit us onsite. Email us or ring us ahead of time so that we know you’re coming.
FOR THE EVENING OF NIGHT OF DREAD, Saturday, October 25th, you will need to arrive at Dufferin Grove Park for 4:30PM to pickup your puppet and learn how to wear it.
-
We’ll need you at Dufferin Grove Park for 4:30 PM on Sat., Oct. 25th, 2025 to approximately 7pm.
-
When you arrive at Puppet Central (the Dufferin Grove Park Rinkhouse), Puppet-Masters and/or Production Assistants will retrieve puppets for Volunteer Puppeteers. They will help you get in and out of your puppet, as well as provide you with basic coaching and helpful puppetry tips.
You will then be shown to your assigned place for the parade by an Event Manager. There you will wait for the parade to begin alongside your fellow volunteers, parade bands and Clay and Paper Theatre staff.
Big Fear puppeteers will have a Puppet Spotter assigned to them - or you could have a friend join you and be your Puppet Spotter. Spotters will carry the sign that identifies who your Big Fear puppet is (e.g. “The Fear of War”). The Spotter will also spot for low tree branches or a change in the road or park terrain (like a hump or a curb or a hole). The Spotter will communicate that to you, or guide you physically (e.g. take you buy your elbow) to keep you safe and get you clear of a questionable patch on the route.
PLEASE NOTE: We ask that you arrive at your assigned times (and even earlier) to help event and production staff meet their staging schedule and ensure that the whole event is executed smoothly. There will be many people volunteering and we want to give everyone the time they need to get ready and ask questions.
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Big and Small Fear Puppets, you will be part of the Night of Dread Parade and Pageant.
Once the parade has begun, follow along in your assigned spot and make sure to listen to any Parade Marshals (They’ll be wearing high visibility vests.). PLEASE STAY WITH THE BIG PUPPETS AS A GROUP. And have LOTS OF FUN! Move and animate your puppet and dance to the live parade music.
When you and your fellow puppeteers return back to park from the parade, you will be escorted by your Puppet Spotter or a Production Person to wait beside the pageant performance circle (This big circle will be made up of glowing candles.)
The pageant will be narrated by the MCs, the Masters of Ceremonies, Tamara and David. After greeting the audience, the MCs will introduce our Big Fears and then our Small Fears too.
When the Pageant MCs introduce you, the Stage Manager will also give you your verbal cue. When this happens, you will make your way around the pageant circle and the audience will boo and hiss at all of the fears. After making your way around the circle once, you will return to your puppet waiting place.
After all of the Big Fears and Small Fears have been announced, Clay and Paper Theatre performers will then animate the main Fear of the Year scenario.
-
After the parade and scenario, you will drop off your puppet at Puppet Central to one of the Event Managers or Park Managers. This will help us ensure a swift clean-up of the space and a safe return for anything borrowed from Clay and Paper Theatre.
After this, your role for the evening will have come to an end. Feel free to stick around and enjoy the Night of Dread installations and check out the onsite City of Toronto Parks and Recreation Café.
Thank you for your help during the procession and pageant!
Big Fears Puppet Gallery
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1. The Fear of War
The Fear of War is backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person who holds both hands - one ‘hand’ is a rocket and the other is a mace. This can also be a three person puppet, where two other puppeteers can hold each ‘hand’. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of War participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of War is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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2. The Fear of Censorship
The Fear of Censorship is a backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of Censorship participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Censorship is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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3. The Fear of Death Itself
The Fear of Death Itself is a backpack puppet that has two lightweight hands. It can be animated by one person. You can also have two puppet pouches tied around your waist so that you can rest the arms in them while parading. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of Death Itself participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Death Itself is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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4. The Fear of Oligarchs
The Fear of Oligarchs is a backpack puppet that has two lightweight hands. It can be animated by one person. You can also have two puppet pouches tied around your waist so that you can rest the arms in them while parading. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of Oligarchs participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Oligarchs is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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5. The Fear of Nuclear War
The Fear of Nuclear War is a backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of Nuclear War participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Nuclear War is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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6. The Fear of Sickness
The Fear of Sickness is a backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of Sickness participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Sickness is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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7. The Fear of Endless Destruction
The Fear of Endless Destruction is a backpack puppet. It must be animated by three people, one person in the main backpack and two people each holding a giant puppet hand. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Fear of Endless Destruction participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Endless Destruction is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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8. The Fear of Rapacious Greed
The Fear of Rapacious Greed are a pack of three separate backpack pig puppets with light arms. This series of puppets can be perfect for a group of three friends (although not a requirement). The rapaciously greedy pigs will a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify these puppets to audience members. The Fear of Rapacious Greed participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Fear of Rapacious Greed is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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9. The Four Horses of the Anthropocene
The 4 Horses of the Anthropocene are the bringers of Denial, Division, Despair and Destruction - and perfect for a group of four friends (although not a requirement). The horses are mounted onto bike trailers and animated by their trailer arms or connectors. The Horsemen are also each provided with suit jacket, soft cloth mask (with big eye holes), business hat and a sign that identifies who they are to spectators. The Four Horses of the Anthropocene require some skill and strength. These horses are appropriate for adults. The Horsemen participate in the Parade and animate the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As a Big Fear, The Horsemen are also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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10. The Big Devil
The Big Devil is a backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Big Devil participates in the Parade and animates the streets around Dufferin Grove Park. As one of the Big Fears, The Big Devil is also presented in the Pageant. Please see Performance Responsibilities above for more details.
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11. The Mother of Grief
The Mother of Grief for the World is a backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person. The Mother is not a Big Fear, but she represents the overwhelming grief of the current state of the World, of the accelerating climate crisis, of genocide, of rising fascism. She is a way for us all to hold the moment and acknowledge the Grief in us all. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Mother of Grief for the World will participate in the Parade. She will also be presented in the Pageant. There are special instructions for her Performance Responsibilities and they will be reviewed with you by the Artistic Directors.
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12. The Poultry of Peace / The Cockerel of Courage
The Poultry of Peace, also known as The Cockerel of Courage, is a backpack puppet. It can be animated by one person. The Poultry of Peace is not a Big Fear, but is, in fact, a challenge to all of our fears. By mocking and making fun of our fears, humorous puppets like The Poultry of Peace, help us laugh at our our most dreadful thoughts. This puppet will also have a Puppet Spotter who also holds a sign that will identify this puppet to audience members. The Poultry of Peace i will participate in the Parade. It will also be presented in the Pageant. There are special instructions for its Performance Responsibilities and they will be reviewed with you by the Artistic Directors.
Character Performers
We also have a fun range of traditional and ever expanding Night of Dread characters for people to dress up as and help animate the parade and park. These will often include costumes, masks and props.
Check out the Gallery of Characters below.
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You can book your rod puppet or tomato cage puppet over email at: volunteer.clayandpaper@gmail.co. Or call us at 416-708-3332 if you have any questions.
During the month of October, Clay and Paper Theatre will be set up for our Night of Dread residency at the Dufferin Grove Park Rinkhouse, from October 3rd to 25th, 11am to 8pm. If you would like to look at any of the rod puppets beforehand, please come and visit us onsite. Email us or ring us ahead of time so that we know you’re coming.
FOR THE EVENING OF NIGHT OF DREAD, Saturday, October 25th, you will need to arrive at Dufferin Grove Park for 4:30PM to pickup your puppet and learn how to wear it.
-
We’ll need you at Dufferin Grove Park for 4:30 PM on Sat., Oct. 25th, 2025 to approximately 7pm.
-
When you arrive at Puppet Central (the Dufferin Grove Park Rinkhouse), Puppet-Masters and/or Production Assistants will retrieve puppets for Volunteer Puppeteers. They will help you get in and out of your puppet, as well as provide you with basic coaching and helpful puppetry tips.
You will then be shown to your assigned place for the parade by an Event Manager. There you will wait for the parade to begin alongside your fellow volunteers, parade bands and Clay and Paper Theatre staff.
PLEASE NOTE: We ask that you arrive at your assigned times (and even earlier) to help event and production staff meet their staging schedule and ensure that the whole event is executed smoothly. There will be many people volunteering and we want to give everyone the time they need to get ready and ask questions.
-
Large and Small Fear Puppets, you will be part of the Night of Dread Pageant.
Once the parade has begun, follow along in your assigned spot and make sure to listen to any Parade Marshals (They’ll be wearing high visibility vests.). And have LOTS OF FUN! Move and animate your puppet and dance to the live parade music.
When you and your fellow puppeteers return back to park from the parade, you will be escorted by your Puppet Spotter or a Production Person to wait beside the pageant performance circle (This big circle will be made up of glowing candles.)
The pageant will be narrated by the MCs, the Masters of Ceremonies, Tamara and David. After greeting the audience, the MCs will introduce our Big Fears and then our Small Fears too.
When the Pageant MCs introduce you, the Stage Manager will also give you your verbal cue. When this happens, you will make your way around the pageant circle and the audience will boo and hiss at all of the fears. After making your way around the circle once, you will return to your puppet waiting place.
After all of the Big Fears and Small Fears have been announced, Clay and Paper Theatre performers will then animate the main Fear of the Year scenario.
-
After the parade and scenario, you will drop off your puppet at Puppet Central to one of the Event Managers or Park Managers. This will help us ensure a swift clean-up of the space and a safe return for anything borrowed from Clay and Paper Theatre.
After this, your role for the evening will have come to an end. Feel free to stick around and enjoy the Night of Dread installations and check out the onsite City of Toronto Parks and Recreation Café.
Thank you for your help during the procession and pageant!
Character Performer Gallery
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1.The Flag Bearer
The Flag Bearer will carry the Night of Dread standard at the head of the parade and then into the pageant scenario circle in Dufferin Grove Park. You will lead all of the puppets around the scenario circle until they arrive at their staging location in the pageant circle. During the scenario you will stand beside the MCs. We will provide the flag and costume that can be worn over your own clothing.
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2.Fear Catchers & the Fear Catcher Beast
This team consists of five Fear Catcher characters and one Fear Catcher Beast mobile puppet (built on a bike trailer). These characters are responsible for catching community fears along the parade route (pieces of paper with fears written down on them) with your fear catcher nets and placing the fears into the Beast! After the parade, you will exchange your fear catching nets for Money Catching Hats at the Fieldhouse. During the pageant the MCs will cue you to run around the scenario with your money catching hats gathering donations from the audience members.
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3.The Bride & Groom of Death
The Bride and Groom of Death is a great volunteer opportunity for a couple. You, the Bride and Groom of Death will animate Dufferin Grove Park with your presence, reminding everyone of your eternal, deathless wedded bliss – or not… We will provide your mask and costume. IMPORTANT NOTE: A Bride and Groom costume fitting must take place before the event day to make sure we have options in our costume kit for the Bride and Groom. This can be arranged via email with Clay and Paper Theatre producers.
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4.Doom Cheerleading Squad
The Doom Squad includes four ‘fear-leaders’. It’s a great opportunity for you and three friends to get together (though not a requirement) to help to spread doom and gloom to the gathering audience at Dufferin Grove Park. You’ll be cheering, dancing, and having loads of dreadful laughs during the scenario. We will provide your costume for the night. It will include cheerleader pom-poms, pinny (a sleeveless top worn almost like an apron over your clothes) and cheerleader skirt (These are sewn to also be put on like aprons and so they can fit over outdoor clothing and be adjusted.).
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5.Death Dancers
The Death Dancers are a group of dancers, who offer members of the public a dance with Death Itself. Before the parade begins, Death Dancers will dance in the Basketball Court area where the Magpie stilters keep watch. There will be live music (from 5:30pm to 6pm) as you offer audience members a dance. The Death Dancer group will then join the procession and when you return to the scenario circle, will also watch the pageant together. You will be provided with a mask and costume (which can fit over outdoor clothing).
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6.The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack are a pack of Toronto rats prowling around the park on the dreadliest night of the year. The Rat Pack is perfect for a large group of friends or anyone who wants to embody one of Toronto’s most notorious creatures. The Rat Pack will join the park parade and when you return to the scenario circle, will also watch the pageant together. The dress code for a Toronto rat? Anything black, grey, or dreadful! We will supply you with your mask/headpiece.
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7.The Fearmongers
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