puppets abroad low res - British UNIMA

Puppets Abroad
Puppetry in Britain and Ireland today
ranges from puppets in opera, epic street
theatre and immersive installations to
Punch and Judy booths on the beach and
shadow shows in art galleries. Puppeteers
are collaborating with dancers, opera
singers, beat-boxers, jazz musicians,
museum curators, scientists and visual
artists. The collaborations have proved
very fruitful, producing rich performances
that explore emotional, political and
metaphysical worlds – for both adults
and children. This collection of puppet
companies reflects that wide range of
work.
While the companies included in this
brochure are based in England, Ireland,
Scotland and Wales, they demonstrate
the international nature of the artistic
scene: you’ll find puppeteers, designers
and directors from France, Germany,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Peru,
Spain and the United States who have all
made their homes in these islands. They
have experience of international touring
and an interest in showing their work
more widely.
These exchanges have been nourished
by a recent flowering of puppet festivals.
Alongside long-established festivals such
as the Edinburgh International Festival,
Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the London
International Mime Festival, we now
have festivals dedicated to puppetry
from around the world: Suspense
(London) and Manipulate (Edinburgh)
specialise in puppetry for adults, while the
International Puppet Festival Ireland and
the Bristol, Beverley and Skipton festivals
present shows for all ages.
We hope that you will enjoy this
introduction to some of Britain and
Ireland’s puppet companies and look
forward to meeting you at one of the
festivals soon.
Linda Lewis, Puppet Centre Trust
Eleanor Margolies, British UNIMA