PUPPETRYWhat is puppetry?

WHAT IS PUPPETRY Puppetry is an ancient art form which sees the manipulation of inanimate objects,

usually for entertainment purposes but can also be used for: Carnivals

Rituals

Celebrations

Puppetry is a very ancient art form, thought to have originated about 3000 years ago. Puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate the ideas and needs of human societies. Some historians claim that they pre-date actors in theatre.

There is evidence that they were used in Egypt as early as 2000 BC when string-operated figures of wood were manipulated to perform the action of kneading bread.

Wire controlled, articulated puppets made of clay and ivory have also been found in Egyptian tombs. Hieroglyphs also describe "walking statues" being used in Ancient Egyptian religious dramas.

Puppetry was practiced in Ancient Greece and the oldest written records of puppetry can be found in the works of Herodotus and Xenophon, dating from the 5th century BC.

THE HISTORY OF PUPPETRY – INTERNATIONAL Greece/Rome

Clay dolls, and a few of ivory, dated from around 500 BC, were found in children's tombs. These dolls had articulated arms and legs, and in some cases an iron rod extending up from the tops of their heads (Sicilian puppetry)

UK

Punch and Judy is a popular puppet show in the UK which was influenced by the 16th century Italian theatre movement ‘commedia dell’arte’ which involves a lot of masks and exaggerated performance techniques. The puppets are controlled by a performers hands. (hand or glove puppetry)

France

A famous French puppetry act is Guignol, who is also the main character of the show. The puppet act began during the French Revolution when the act’s creator Laurent Mourguet started working as a dentist. To attract patients he would put on a puppet show, also influenced by ‘commedia dell’arte’, and this was so successful it became a successful show across France, always depicting the triumph of good over evil.

THE HISTORY OF PUPPETRY – INTERNATIONAL Italy

Italy is a well known home to puppetry, particularly the ‘commedia dell’arte’ movement which began in Churches across Italy as morality plays, using ‘marionette’ figures. The performances became too ribald for the Church and so it was banned, however the movement continued.

Puppetry in other countries include: Japan – Bunraku -Initially consisting of one puppeteer, by 1730 three puppeteers were used to

operate each puppet in full view of the audience.

Africa – inherited puppet traditions from Egypt.

Vietnam – Water puppetry The puppets are built out of wood and the shows are performed in a waist high pool. A large rod under the water is used by the puppeteers to support and control the puppets

India - Tholpavakoothu (or Tolpava Koothu) is a tradition of shadow puppetry

TYPES OF PUPPETRY

Black light puppet –

Bunraku puppet –

Carnival or body puppet –

Finger puppet –

Sock puppet -

Hand puppet or glove puppet –

Human-arm puppet –

Light curtain puppet –

Marionette –

Marotte-

Pull string puppet-

Push puppet –

Toy theatre-

Rod puppet –

Shadow puppet –

Supermarionette –

Ticklebug-

Table top puppet –

Ventriloquism dummy –

Stop-action Puppet/Stop-motion Puppet

Water puppet -

Object Puppet -

Motekar Puppet -

Find all info on : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppet

There are many different styles and techniques to puppetry; from using the fingers or hands to manipulate a doll style puppet, to using more technical devices such as strings, rods or some puppets are part of an even more complex design system.

BUNRAKU

In an interview with Jim Henson, it was suggested that Bunraku was an inspiration for the Muppets.

- Bunraku is the traditional puppet theatre of Japan, a high-level stage art which is known throughout the world. Bunraku was originally the name of the theatre in which this puppet drama was performed, but gradually it came to be used as the name of the art itself and is today used as the official name of the puppet theatre and the art form.

- Each puppet requires three puppeteers to bring it to life.

- There is no other puppet art that requires a whole day for its long, serious drama to unfold.

- In Bunraku, the manipulators appear openly, in full view of the audience. These two characteristics, which make it completely different from the other puppet theatre traditions around the world, can be said to be the reason that Bunraku is called the most highly developed puppet theatre art in the world.

THEMES

The theme of puppetry is decide by the theme of the performance

in which it is used.

The theme for the puppets themselves are usually the feeling of hopelessness,

the feeling of being manipulated and the gentle nature of the way the

puppet moves and is protected by the keeper, almost like a cellmate

is protected by its prison.

Themes within puppet shows can include: Fights

Chases

Suicide

Loneliness

Isolation

Political

PUPPETEERS Bil Baird

*He grew up in Iowa, and fell in love with puppetry when his father made him a simple string puppet at the age of eight.

*He created a famous scene in the  movie ‘Sound of Music’ with his marionettes.

*Bil and his wife brought a house in 1964 to use as their home, a marionette theatre and a filming studio. The theatre, known as the Bil Baird Marionette Theatre, held 193 seats and began by offering underprivileged children afternoon programmes in the summer of 1966.

*The first production ever preformed on the 24th of December 1966 was Davey Jones’ Locker.

*Other performances carried out by Bil and his wife Cora were:

-Winnie the Pooh

-Alice In Wonderland

-Wizard of Oz

*His career spanned over 60 years and he created over 3000 puppets, a popular puppet being Charlemagne the lion.

*To his theatre, Bil had no problem attracting other puppeteers to preform, including 30 performers that later went to work

With Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets.

“We intend to attract the - best writing and composing talent, so that we may compete internationally as we should.” -  Bil Baird

Richard Bradshaw

Richard Bradshaw was well known for his shadow puppetry using rod puppets . He was an artistic director of the Marionette Theatre of Australia and received a medal various medals for his service to the arts. He presents his work to various ages and has highly successful shows around the word including Europe, North America and Australia. His unique sense of humour tantalises the audience along the change in characters and their antics.

SUMMARY