Asian countries with a strong puppet tradition, such as Indonesia, Japan and China, have for some years worked on a modern approach to their theatre, but have found the international demand for their traditional shows a heavy drag on new creations. Yeung Fai has found a highly intelligent way to shake off the cobwebby aspects […]
Tag Archives: Puppetry


Puppetship / Pickled Image: Sparkle / Wolf Tales
September 23rd, 2012 by Edward TaylorPuppetship’s Sparkle is a show for very young children, and in fact is not so much a show as an extremely well-managed environment which allows its audience to take in as much or as little as they like. A big white parasol covers the performance area and the audience (parents and their children) sit in a circle […]

Gary Kitching and The Empty Space: Me and Mr C
September 6th, 2012 by Lisa WolfeGary Kitching is a direct, warm and welcoming chap. He establishes an easy audience rapport as he sets up the guiding premise of his show, Me and Mr C. We are to lower any expectations we might have for it, he tells us; he’s made it in order to have a one-man show as an actor […]

Weeping Spoon: The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer
August 26th, 2012 by Beccy SmithThe Adventures of Alvin Sputnik is an elegant and touching piece of solo theatrical storytelling that effortlessly fuses digital projection, puppetry and live music to draw you into a very idiosyncratic visual world. The focus on stage is a large round screen, reminiscent of the round window of a space ship, or a bubble, and beautifully […]

Theatre Témoin and Cie. Traversière: The Fantasist
August 26th, 2012 by Matt RudkinTheatre Témoin and Cie. Traversière’s The Fantasist depicts the extremes of bipolar disorder as experienced by an institutionalised young woman rendered with conviction and physical virtuosity by the central performer. Well-structured as an engaging and coherent story, the piece still leaves plenty of space for interpretation, and contains enough elements of humour and inventive staging to keep […]