If you think puppets are just for children, you obviously didn't make it along to the
Suspense London Puppetry Festival two years ago. You see, all the shows and performances in this particular festival are for adults.
The Suspense London Puppetry Festival first took place two years ago, organised by the
Little Angel Theatre in Islington. The festival was a great success, winning a Fringe Report Award for Best Festival. It also received a nomination for a Peter Brook 'Empty Space' award.
Though the festival took time off last year, the good news is that later this month it returns for a second time, showcasing some of the best puppeteers from the UK and beyond.
This year's London Puppetry Festival, taking place at 11 venues across the capital, also encourages anyone interested to get directly involved, with a number of masterclasses, workshops and talks taking place during the course of this exciting nine-day event. You'll also be able to enjoy late-night cabaret shows, opera performances, dance events and movie screenings.
A cursory look at the festival's
what's on page throws up some interesting looking shows.
'
Conversation with an Umbrella', taking place at the Central School of Speech and Drama on 1st November, sounds intriguing for its name alone.
The show has been developed from "spending three days in a studio with a collection of black umbrellas."
'
Life Still' could also be worth investigating, described on the festival's website as being "an extraordinarily dark and surreal piece of post apocalyptic sci-fi puppetry."
Life Still' performs four shows over two days at the Pleasance Theatre on 5th and 6th November.
'
Spirit', at the Rosemary Branch Theatre on 1st and 2nd November, promises to take you on "a captivating journey of ordinary people's otherworldly experiences."
The performance incorporates the voices of real people recounting personal stories and seems like it could have the makings of a memorable evening.
If you're looking for a laugh, how about '
The Great Puppet Horn' at the Roundhouse Studio on 2nd and 3rd November.
The website describes it as "South Park meets Newsnight", while the Sunday Times called it "scathingly funny...this giggle-fest gets my five stars."
If you fancy a night out a little different from the usual, head over to the
London Puppetry Festival's website where you can find out about its full programme of shows and activities.
