A visit to the puppet studio

https://vimeo.com/165411177

Video Tour

The puppet studio is buzzing right now as our puppets are coming together in time for rehearsals to begin on Monday. Many friends have visited us over the past weeks, and we've been doing a very brief tour around for them. I know many others would like to have a peek too so here's a little 2 minute guided tour.

Puppet Studio

Its hard to believe that we have already been busy in the studio for 33 weeks. It occurred to me that by the time we finish we will have spent 40 weeks building puppets in the puppet studio... a fitting length to give birth to this production of the Firebird.

Materials

I've taken the concept of the three prime forces at play in the show right down to even the materials we're using. I've written more about the rationale behind this here.

Paper

In brief, qualities of inspiration and passion (the original firebird character) are represented by birdlike images. For this we've used paper in various forms.

Rattan and Sticks

We found form for the energies of doubt and aggression (the original Kastchei) in the increasingly detailed snakes and dog-like creatures. The material here is sticks and rattan.

Vellum

The qualities of innocence and playfulness (the original Princesses) take the form of children. The material here is vellum.

It all comes together

As the forces interact, they begin to take on aspects of the other’s identity, slowly transforming and integrating. The final puppet (the dragon) is a combination of bird and beast: of sticks, paper, and vellum. Although right now she is still structural aluminium : )