Hand Puppets
Fri, 8 Nov 2002, 07:18 amDanny4 posts in thread
Hand Puppets
Fri, 8 Nov 2002, 07:18 amHi everyone,
I'd like some advice about Hand Puppets from those that have used them in stage productions before.
I'm thinking about having a dog hand puppet as a character in our next play - it's a talking dog, by the way (Gaspode in Terry Pratchett's "The Truth", if you're interested) but having had no experience with puppets I'm not sure it's the best way to go.
I've done some web-searches to see if a dog puppet was available for purchase, and the only possibly suitable one I could find was the Folkmani's "Scruffy Dog", available in Australia via Elizabeth Richards
( www.elizabethrichards.com.au )
Does anyone know if these puppets are good for stage work, especially as an expressive, *talking* character? Is there anywhere else that you think I should look to find a puppet to buy? (Stores in Adelaide preferred, because I really don't want to buy a puppet sight unseen)
Any advice that experienced people can give me?
Or should I just not bother and put a person in a dog suit instead?
Thanks in advance,
Seeya. Danny.
Unseen Theatre Company
http://www.unseen.com.au
[%sig%]
I'd like some advice about Hand Puppets from those that have used them in stage productions before.
I'm thinking about having a dog hand puppet as a character in our next play - it's a talking dog, by the way (Gaspode in Terry Pratchett's "The Truth", if you're interested) but having had no experience with puppets I'm not sure it's the best way to go.
I've done some web-searches to see if a dog puppet was available for purchase, and the only possibly suitable one I could find was the Folkmani's "Scruffy Dog", available in Australia via Elizabeth Richards
( www.elizabethrichards.com.au )
Does anyone know if these puppets are good for stage work, especially as an expressive, *talking* character? Is there anywhere else that you think I should look to find a puppet to buy? (Stores in Adelaide preferred, because I really don't want to buy a puppet sight unseen)
Any advice that experienced people can give me?
Or should I just not bother and put a person in a dog suit instead?
Thanks in advance,
Seeya. Danny.
Unseen Theatre Company
http://www.unseen.com.au
[%sig%]
Re: Hand Puppets
Mon, 2 Dec 2002, 07:03 amSorry, Daniel, the decision's been made. No puppets, because I don't trust myself enough to use them - there's not an ounce of puppeteering experience in our whole company, unfortunately.
Gaspode as a person-in-dog-suit worked fine for The Fifth Elephant (in fact, plenty of audience members said the 'dog' was one of their favourite characters) and the primary reason for the puppets was to have one or two less people in the cast... and I figure extra people are probably easier to manage, and as Craig says, puppets don't buy you a drink at the pub after the show :p
Our Errol wasn't actually a puppet, just a stuffed toy, and Errol didn't have a swathe of dialogue, which Gaspode does...
(Admitted Wuffles doesn't have much dialogue - he's a dog that *doesn't* talk, but it's probably easier to get 2 dog suits than 2 puppets and a skilled puppeteer)
Thanks for all your thoughts anyway :)
Seeya. Danny.
[%sig%]
Gaspode as a person-in-dog-suit worked fine for The Fifth Elephant (in fact, plenty of audience members said the 'dog' was one of their favourite characters) and the primary reason for the puppets was to have one or two less people in the cast... and I figure extra people are probably easier to manage, and as Craig says, puppets don't buy you a drink at the pub after the show :p
Our Errol wasn't actually a puppet, just a stuffed toy, and Errol didn't have a swathe of dialogue, which Gaspode does...
(Admitted Wuffles doesn't have much dialogue - he's a dog that *doesn't* talk, but it's probably easier to get 2 dog suits than 2 puppets and a skilled puppeteer)
Thanks for all your thoughts anyway :)
Seeya. Danny.
[%sig%]