Puppetry

Create and perform with simple puppets

Creating and Performing with Puppets

Puppetry is a form of drama where you use a puppet (a figure controlled by hand) to tell stories. Puppets can be finger puppets, hand puppets, stick puppets or shadow puppets. The puppeteer gives the puppet a voice and personality. Puppetry is popular in South Africa.

Example

Make a Stick Puppet

Materials: cardboard, scissors, stick (or straw), crayons 1. Draw a character on cardboard (person, animal) 2. Cut it out carefully 3. Attach a stick to the back with tape 4. Give your puppet a name and voice 5. Create a short story with a friend's puppet Add a simple stage using a table turned on its side!

Note

Remember

When performing with puppets: keep the puppet visible to the audience, give it clear movements, use different voices for different characters. South African puppetry traditions include the Handspring Puppet Company (famous for War Horse) and educational puppet shows.

Key Vocabulary

PuppetA figure moved by hand, strings or sticks to act out stories

PuppeteerThe person who controls and gives voice to a puppet

DialogueThe words spoken between characters in a story

PerformanceActing or presenting something for an audience

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Puppet

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