The Place for Puppets

It’s positive to see puppetry acknowledged as a dramatic form with the potential for success (Guardian article on puppets in theatre). Gardner is right to cite War Horse, The Little Angel and Improbable as key examples of theatre going beyond ‘flirting’ with puppets.

However, the issue is not so much why more companies don’t use puppetry, but why the ones that do, do. One answer lies within one of the functions of drama itself; to explore the issues that are central to life – whether the everyday or the extraordinary – from a distance that allows safety, detachment and creative exploration that work or performance in role often cannot.