Australian road entertainment has gone through many changing times over the last fifty years and now comes in flavours for all tastes. Having spent the greater part of my life touring around this country I've seen the best and the worst of it. One things for sure - good old fashionied Australian showies are few and far between.
What do I mean by that? I mean people who are willing to travel long distances to make little money, who do it, purely for the love of entertainment. People who make us think about the past, the best parts of our cultural identity and make us feel proud to be Australian; And people who get us together in small communuties, at festivals, or sports clubs, or abandoned outback halls and refresh in us a spirit of community and shared experience - a spirit that is rapidly disintergrating even in some of our most isolated rural areas.
To cut a long story short, good entertainment, in my opinion, is not necessarily concerned with "professionalism." Lisa Dean is not that sort of entertainer. She is proud of her earthy, simple style. With her we get to feel the excitement of being a child and the pleasure of being able to laugh at life without cynicism. She wants to make people feel more comfortable about themselves and others. She's a country girl at heart and her style calls us back to a purer frame of mind.
For me, some of the best times of my career were spent working with Lisa. So it was without hesitation that I passed on much of what I have learnt to her and I am honoured by the fact that 'computer games have not yet taken the place of Charlie Rednose the clown.*' Whatever people have said about Lisa Dean, I cannot deny her ability to perform in front of almost any audience, any where, any how, and give something special everytime.
- Buck Carson - Country Singer, Clown and mentor of Lisa Dean.
*A paraphrase of a song by Ian Quinn written about the life of Charlie Rednose. (a.k.a. Buck Carson.)
Lisa Dean Productions
After years of touring with the "Buck Carson Wild West Show", Lisa Dean decided to concentrate on her musical career and other forms of children’s entertainment independently. Lisa now is an endorsed trainer with “Protective Behaviours” and specialises in adapting principles of personal safety, protective behaviours and problem solving into entertaining art forms.
Lisa Dean Productions has grown primarily out of an increasing demand for Lisa’s shows and is dedicated to producing intelligent, affordable children’s entertainment that is available to anyone. Through specially selected understudies, trained by Lisa herself, Lisa Dean Productions brings her philosophies to life, without diminishing the original flavour and intention of the shows. “Lisa Dean Productions” is a continuation of the same fundamental ideology she began with over twelve years ago and now offers an ever increasing range of shows to accommodate almost any occasion.
Lisa's Philosophy
What’s interesting about Lisa Dean is not only that she’s made a full time career out of childrens entertainment (which is something of an acheivement in itself!) It is also her unusual attitude towards childrens entertainment. You see, Lisa is one of a handful of entertainers who have taken up the difficult challenge of education.
When most performers will be content with layers of shallow slapstick or meaningless fantasy, Lisa is hard at work trying to blend the theatre and comedy she learnt from circus training with modern psychological principles. Why? Because she has a message to tell. She feels that “...the real challenge in entertainment is to communicate intelligent ideas. Children being like sponges will pick up on these, albeit if they are presented in a roundabout, fun way. Moreover” says Lisa, “ an intelligently crafted story need not be complicated.
Simple stories, or revised fairytales are often more effective in initialising a creative inner dialogue within the child.” This dialogue hopefully leads the child to a better understanding about how to relate creatively with themselves and the people and problems in their lives.
No doubt not everyone will agree with Lisa Dean’s philosophy. However, it cannot be denied that her unique approach connects her more with the Greek Homeric tradition than the banal legacy “Bimbo the Clown” or “The Wiggles” are currently bestowing upon our kids.
