Puppets and Puppet Theatre
by David Currell
Useful text concentrating on design and performance with the main types of puppet. Particularly helpful on puppet control and manipulation.
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The Muppets Make Puppets
by Cheryl Henson
A kit that shows children how to create over 35 puppets using stuff from around the house - with a little help from the googly eyse, fuzzy fur and other items included. With a humorous commentary from Kermit the Frog, they explain the secrets of personality, and how to build it with the right eyes, ears, hair and clothing; how to have fun with voices and movements; and how to operate hand puppets, rod puppets and string puppets. The authors introduce their cast of characters, with instructions on how to make them, including Dixie Dragon (principle ingredient, a sock), Jughead (small plastic jar), Spidey Jones (old work glove), Metalmouth (bandage boxes) and Princess Esterrilla (wooden spoon and chopsticks). It gives tips on writing a puppet story, building different puppet stages and putting on a show.
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Puppet Mania!: The World's Most Incredible Puppet Making Book Ever!
by John Kennedy
This title provides 13 original puppet projects along with 30 featured puppets for children to make using everyday household materials. As well as explicit instructons, there are construction tips and troubleshooting advice. There is also information on lip synching, body movements and eye contact.
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Engineers of the Imagination: "Welfare State" Handbook
Tony Coult (Editor), Baz Kershaw (Editor)
A guide to The Welfare State, a theatre group which uses the traditions of carnival, music hall and fairground to entertain audiences. Their work formed the centrepiece of Glasgow's 1990 City of Culture celebrations.
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Eyes on Stalks
John Fox
Welfare State International, the inspirational theatre company founded in 1968 and based in Cumbria, creates and facilitates celebratory art and theatre, ranging from carnivals, lantern processions and rites of passage, to flags, banners and pyrotechnics. In a mixture of personal stories, clear instructions, poems and artists' sketches, Eyes on Stalks is a detailed and practical guide to their production. It includes sections on caravans and street shows, community regeneration, comedy extravaganzas and alternative naming, betrothal and funeral ceremonies.
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The Complete Book of Puppetry
by George Latshaw
A great little primer. It has a useful design section that includes patterns for hand, rod and marionette puppets, as well as help on building stages. Excellent advice on voices and performance. Valuable for beginners and more experienced puppeteers alike.
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Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History
by John Bell
A comprehensive look at the evolution of the art of puppetry and the myriad ways that the art form has been used throughout the world to illustrate myths, educate, comment on cultural events, express moral values, satirise, and generally entertain.
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Puppets: Methods & Materials
by Cedric Flower & Alan Jon Fortney
A highly recommended reference book. Great information on how to build all kinds of puppets from all sorts of materials.
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Making Puppets Come Alive
by Larry Engler
A first class book on how to do good puppet manipulation. The many clear pictures show just how to perform with puppets.
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I Am the Story: The Art of Puppetry in Education and Therapy
by Caroline Astell-Burt
Eminently practical and full of ways to make puppet performance a liberating tool of self expression.
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Puppets, Masks, and Performing Objects
by John Bell (Editor)
A fascinating collection of essays exploring the experimental, social and political value of puppets and the like, in the modern world. A bit of something for everyone.
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