Puppetry

Puppetry is a theatrical performance that involves manipulating inanimate objects, called puppets, to create a show.

DIFFERENT STYLES

Glove → a puppet that is hand controlled and fits like a glove in a sense.
Shadow → flat puppet that casts shadows when held at a light source.
Rod → controlled by rods attached to its body, allowing the puppeteer to move its limbs and head.
String → figure controlled by strings, allowing a puppeteer to move its limbs.
Glove rod → a puppet controlled by a hand inside the body and rods attached to its arms.
Bunraku → a large, traditional Japanese puppet used in performances, operated by multiple puppeteers

This module explored the fundamentals and principles of puppetry, emphasising the art of creating the "illusion of life." It highlighted the significance of designed and crafted objects in captivating an audience, applying these principles to puppets, props, costumes, and scenic elements.

The course introduced various forms of puppetry and examined their integration into diverse performance styles, including dance, opera, and street theatre. We gained hands-on experience in workshop practices and the essentials of Design for Performance.

The main project involved designing and constructing a complete Bunraku-style puppet from scratch. This process included understanding the mechanics and aesthetics of puppet creation. We then developed and performed a short piece using our finished puppets. Teaching sessions were divided between studio theatre and technical workshop settings, fostering both creative and technical skills.

The Making Process

To create our puppets, we began by using provided templates to trace the shapes of each body part onto wooden sheets, forming the base structure. Styrofoam was glued to either side of the wooden panels and, once dried, carved and shaved to contour the limbs. After shaping, wooden blocks were added at specific joints for stability. Holes were drilled through the wooden panels at the top and bottom of each limb, allowing elastic to be threaded through, connecting the puppet's parts. Finally, rods were attached to the back of the head, heels, and hands to make the puppet fully functional and ready for manipulation.

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The Final Piece

For the final performance of our puppet, we conducted multiple run-throughs with lighting and sound to ensure everything was perfectly prepared for the day. I believe the technical rehearsals were crucial, as they allowed us to refine our storytelling and enhance our initial ideas through inspiration gained during rehearsals. Watching everyone else’s final performances was incredibly enjoyable, and I appreciated the opportunity to receive valuable feedback from both lecturers and second-year students.

City Arts

After completing our module, we collaborated with the City Arts Puppet Cabaret, an informal and welcoming event that brought together a friendly group of puppet enthusiasts. The event provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow puppeteers and share our passion for the craft. It was fascinating to see the variety of puppet styles and the unique stories they conveyed. My favourite performance was the finale, featuring a burlesque act by a zombie puppet—it was both creative and unforgettable. I am truly grateful for the chance to witness and be inspired by others' storytelling through their puppets.

Puppetry In Theatre and Film

PUPPETRY IN THEATRE

Puppetry in theatre is an ancient and captivating art form that combines performance, visual art, and story-telling. to bring inanimate objects to life. Puppetry spans cultures and time periods, evolving from simple hand-controlled figures to elaborate mechanical creations. In theatre, puppetry often serves as a unique medium to express ideas, emotions or stories that may be difficult to convey through human actors.

THEIR ROLE

Puppetry brings a level of abstraction and imagination to theatre, offering flexibility and expressiveness that human actors sometimes can't achieve. Puppets can take on a variety of forms, sizes, and aesthetics, from highly realistic figures to completely abstract shapes.

This allows for:

Visual Storytelling - puppetry is often visually stunning and allows directors and designers to create worlds and characters that go beyond the limitations of the human form.
Symbolism - puppets often embody metaphorical or abstract ideas making them useful in allegorical storytelling.
Fantasy and Folklore - puppetry is often used to tell mythical, fantastical, or fairy tale stories, where the unreal becomes real through the manipulation of puppets.
Emotional Distance - puppets can convey emotions in ways that create a certain distance from reality, which can be especially effective in stories dealing with heavy or surreal themes.

NOTABLE EXAMPLES

War Horse - The life-size horse puppets in this production are operated by a team of puppeteers and represent the powerful bond between humans and animals. The puppets are central to the plays emotional impact.
The Lion King - Julie Taymor’s adaptation of the Disney film features stunning use of puppetry to portray the animals of the African savannah, blending masks, costumes, and puppets to create a visually breathtaking experience.
Bunraku Theatre - this highly stylised form of puppet theatre that combines precise puppet manipulation with music and narration, requiring immense skill and coordination among multiple puppeteers to bring each puppet to life.

PUPPETRY IN FILM

Puppetry in film is a powerful storytelling tool that merges the magic of live-action with the flexibility of animation. It allows filmmakers to bring characters, creatures and entire worlds to life in ways that actors alone cannot achieve. This technique is especially valuable for creating fantastical beings, anthropomorphic animals, or imaginary environments, where a sense of realism and tangible presence is crucial.

HISTORY OF PUPPETRY FILM

Puppetry in films date back to the early days of cinema.

Silent era - early films experimented with puppetry techniques, such as marionettes or stop-motion animation to create special effects.
1950s - 60s - puppetry became more prominent in sci-fi and fantasy films
1970s-90s - the "Golden Age" of puppetry in film emerged, with advanced techniques and talent, such as Jim Henson, bringing puppetry into mainstream cinema.
21st Century - the rise of CGI, the use of traditional puppetry declined but still remained relevant. Some filmmakers combined the two to create realistic effects.

NOTABLE FILM WITH PUPPETRY

The Dark Crystal - Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, this film showcased complex puppetry techniques and detailed designs to create an entirely puppet-based fantasy world. It is praised for its artistry and immersive storytelling.
Labyrinth - Another Jim Henson film, Labyrinth combined puppetry, live-action, and animatronics to create a magical world populated by bizarre creatures. It featured a mix of comedic and eerie puppet designs, adding to the films unique atmosphere.
Gremlins - this horror-comedy used puppetry to create the mischievous creatures at the heart of the story. The puppets' expressiveness added both the humour and horror elements of the film.

Puppetry in film is an enduring art form, capable of creating magic on screen through the blend of artistry, craftsmanship, and story telling. While digital effects continue to evolve, puppetry remains an essential tool for film makers seeking to imbue their films with a tangible sense of wonder and realism.

Process Evaluation

Before this project, I already had a basic understanding of puppetry, having explored it during the first component of my A-level drama piece. My group and I created a performance based on ‘Doctor Faustus,’ where we chose to reenact Act 3, Chorus 2 using shadow puppets. Through this, I became familiar with the fundamentals of puppetry and the mechanics of how puppets worked.

However, this new project has significantly deepened my appreciation and understanding of the craft. I have come to see the incredible detail and precision involved in puppetry, as well as the vast creative possibilities it offers with even the simplest materials and techniques. It is amazing how much expression can be created and how intricate the design and manipulation needs to be to convey personality and mood effectively.

I found working collaboratively to be a mixed experience with this project. During the construction phase, absences within the group did not cause too much disruption, as we could continue building without major setbacks. However, when it came to developing the storyline, it became challenging for anyone who missed a session to catch up. This was especially true for those controlling the puppets; if someone was absent, another team member needed to quickly understand their role and be prepared to step in if needed. This dynamic required everyone to be adaptable and willing to fill in where needed, which ultimately strengthened our teamwork but also highlighted the challenges of group dependency in creative projects.

I felt quite nervous performing this piece, especially since I had to step in at the last minute due to a group member’s illness. I had only one day to learn the part while still contributing to final changes on the performance. My role was to control the puppet’s body, and while I managed to move it fairly smoothly, I struggled with the legs. The paint had tightened the elastic, making it difficult to bend the joints properly. Overall, I was anxious, as performing in front of an audience always makes me a bit uneasy. Despite the challenges, though, the performance pushed me to grow, and I ended up gaining a bit of confidence in my ability to improvise and handle unexpected issues.

I really enjoyed the making process. Building the puppet from scratch and carving the limbs to resemble realistic body parts was a lot of fun. I felt that the type of foam we used was ideal; although it was a denser, more rigid Styrofoam that became slightly brittle when shaved down, we were able to sand it to a smooth finish. If we had used a softer, more delicate foam, it could have been easily damaged during sanding. Connecting the joints with elastic was an interesting challenge, as it needed just the right tension—tight enough for the puppet to move as a single unit, but loose enough for flexible joint movement. We also learned that adding paint stiffened the elastic, which is something to consider in the future. Overall, the process was simpler than I expected, and it was so satisfying to watch it transform from raw wood and foam blocks into a fully functional puppet.