This year has seen a dramatic increase in puppetry in the West End. Puppets have been around for centuries, with evidence of their existence dating back to Greece in the 5th century BCE. From finger puppets, to shadow puppets, to marionettes, there are dozens of different kinds of puppets. Let’s talk about how they’re being used on the West End today!
The Lion King
Certainly one of the biggest examples of puppetry in the West End is The Lion King. This show uses over 232 puppets, and each one is specially crafted to have a certain affect onstage. Zazu, pictured above, is a hand puppet. The actor holds controls that trigger his mouth and eyes in one hand, and the movement of the other arm controls his wings.
Another notable puppet is the cheetah, pictured below. The actress controls the back legs of the cheetah with her legs, the front legs with her hands, and she controls the cheetah’s head with her own. She wears a special headpiece that connects to the cheetah’s head with cables. This fully aligns her movements with the cheetah, allowing for a full transformation. Neat, huh?
My Neighbour Totoro
Another brilliant example of puppetry in the West End is My Neighbour Totoro.
The puppets used in this show were designed by international award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company. This show features five different sized Totoro puppets and seven Sho-Totoro puppets (pictured below), as well as many others, such as soot sprites and chickens.
Since the Totoro puppets are very large, they require a team of puppeteers to operate. Bringing this iconic character to life was no small feat. Putting an animated film with so many magical elements on the stage required utilizing many different crafts. Did you know that every single piece of Totoro’s fur is individually tied onto his body? This was to give him the ultimate soft-and-fuzzy look, so the audience would feel as though they want to touch him.
Avenue Q
Last on our puppet round-up is Avenue Q!
This hilarious show features a range of characters- humans, puppets, and monsters alike! The show primarily uses two different kinds of puppets: rod and live-hand, both pictured below. Rod puppets only require a single actor to operate. The actor uses one hand to manipulate the puppet’s mouth and head and the other to move either one or both of the puppet’s hands using rods. Live-hand puppets use two actors- one controls the head, mouth, and one hand of the puppet, and the other controls the other hand. It can be a real challenge for the two actors to stay completely in sync while puppeteering!
These are only three examples of puppetry in the West End, but many shows use puppetry in some form or another. Whatever show you choose to see this summer, take a moment to appreciate the dedication and artistry that goes into every aspect of bringing it to life!
