Move over Punch and Judy! Puppetry has come a long way since the days of hand held puppets. Nowadays puppets can do everything short of breathe.

In Western Australia, there are about 20 puppeteers employed by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.

There is currently no formal training being offered in Western Australia. All training is provided on the job, though it may be advantageous to have a background in the performing arts.

Each year, approximately 20 training places are offered in the Certificate II in Music Theatre, Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre), Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Arts) and the Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts (Acting). In addition, about 40 training places are offered in the Bachelor of Arts (Education/Drama Studies) and 15 training places are offered in the Bachelor of Arts (Theatre and Drama).

Each time you watch Sesame Street, the Muppet Show or Mr Squiggle, you are witnessing the magical world of puppetry. Puppeteers bring the illusion of life to a range of inanimate objects including life sized Bunraku dolls, small finger puppets or a sheet of newspaper blowing in the wind.


Pulling The Right Strings

Depending on the style of performance, there are a huge variety of puppet types and different ways for the puppeteer to work with them. Puppets can be manipulated by hand, rods and strings or worn as full body suits with elaborate electronic controls to move different parts of the body (remember Jabba the Hutt). They can range from two dimensional Balinese shadow puppets performed against a rear lit screen, to Vietnamese water puppetry where the water's surface acts as the stage.

Puppeteers can be concealed or disguised, or participate as fully viewed actors. Some puppets such as the traditional Japanese 1.5 metre Bunraku dolls are manipulated to dance and sing by three black-clad and masked operators on stage who control different parts of the puppet by a combination of rods and strings.

''In contemporary performances, the performer is visible alongside the character, as opposed to more traditional styles that conceal the performer. At Spare Parts, we like to split the focus between ourselves and the objects,'' says Michael Barlow, a puppeteer at Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.

No matter the nature and construction of the puppet, the puppeteer needs to consider its qualities, construction and limitations when bringing the character to life on the stage. Complex or simple, the puppeteer needs to move the puppet to suit the purposes of storytelling and characterisation.

''String puppets are really hard to manipulate and control, unlike a sock puppet which moves with your hand. Every puppet presents a different challenge and has its own special character. The human body can move in many ways but the puppet only has a limited way to convey feeling. It may not have the ability to frown, for example, so the trick is to move it in such a way as to emulate the emotion,'' says Michael who has manipulated a bunyip, pigs and sausages amongst other puppets in his career.


Let's Get The Show On The Road

A puppet show usually begins with the vision of the artistic director. Once the material is chosen, written or adapted, a designer is brought on board to create a visual concept for the production. A team of puppet makers then begin the process of creating the characters for the performance. Thereafter, puppeteers and performers are contracted and rehearsals begin for about four to five weeks prior to the performance season.

In some companies such as the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, puppeteers are involved in the creative decision making and the development of the puppets.

''In some productions I've been involved in the earlier stages to meet with the team of professionals and discuss the creative concepts and come up with ideas,'' says Michael.


On The Stage, On The Road

Most puppeteers are employed on a contract basis. Work can be found with puppet theatre companies or as solo performers specialising in stage, promotional or school-based entertainment, or in film and television. There are also opportunities to tour around Australia and overseas with more successful companies.

Given the breadth of performance styles, versatility is the name of the game in this job. As a puppeteer, you need to have an aptitude in all areas of performing, including acting, singing and dancing. A love of performance is certainly important.

''I didn't have professional training as a performer and had a background in journalism. But as a child I nurtured a dream to be a performer. Puppetry is a subset of performing and, in the last couple of years, the company has recruited more artistic staff with dancing and acting backgrounds,'' says Michael.

Opportunities are limited in Western Australia with only two companies - Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and Black String Puppet Theatre. If you've got a background in visual arts, you may be able to move into the field of puppet making.

The Black String Puppet Theatre is a family-run business who also hire school leavers interested in learning the art of hand-carved marionette puppet making. They are a travelling theatre who have enchanted thousands of children (as well as adults) all over Australia with their performances and workshops.




Puppeteers are usually paid the Actor's equity award for live performance which is $681.50 a week. Given the sporadic nature of performances, don't expect to earn big bucks in this job. Puppeteers working regular shows at Spare Parts Puppet Theatre can expect to earn about $25,000 a year.

There are no formal training courses available in Western Australia or in the other states. All training is provided on the job. Spare Parts Puppet Theatre offers short courses for children and adults on puppet making and puppet manipulation. For further information, please contact Spare Parts Puppet Theatre or visit their website below.

Edith Cowan University (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) offers a Certificate II and Bachelor of Arts in Music Theatre and an Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts (Acting). Entry into the Certificate course usually requires the completion of Year 10, while Year 12 with a pass in English is usually needed for the Diploma course. Entry into the Academy is very competitive and you will need to attend an interview and audition.

In addition, Edith Cowan University offers a Bachelor of Arts (Education/Creative Arts) double degree majoring in Drama Studies and Murdoch University offers a Bachelor of Arts (Theatre and Drama) degree.

Entry into the degree courses generally requires successful completion of the TEE and, in some cases, having studied English or English literature. For further information, please check out the Universities website below or contact your the preferred institution.

	Black String Puppet Theatre
	Homepage for a real to life, mobile and independant theatre in WA.
	Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
	Homepage for the Fremantle based theatre company.
	Universities
	Homepage links and contact details for all Universities in WA.

WA Arts, Sport and Recreation Industry Training Council
258 William Street Northbridge WA 6003 Ph: (08) 9227 8358

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
224 Stirling Street Perth WA 6000 Ph: (08) 9227 7924

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''I had no intention of becoming a puppeteer. I didn't really understand what puppetry was or what it involved. Punch and Judy was all that sprung to my mind when I thought of puppetry.''

That is straight from puppeteer, and Spare Parts Theatre Artistic Director, Philip Mitchell's mouth.

Philip says that his foray into the world of puppetry eventuated thanks to an unexpected turn of events. Throughout school, Philip had always had a strong interest in music, which he continued to develop at university. Ensconced in the nurturing environment of a tertiary institution, Philip focused his attention on music and drama. He had decided by that stage that acting was for him.

To supplement his bachelor degree, Philip also completed a two-year performing arts diploma in Launceston. The plan at that stage was still very much to venture into acting, and certainly not puppetry. But, as Philip quickly realised, there just weren't enough acting opportunities around.

Making the most of the situation, Philip set about organising to perform Shakespearean extracts in local schools.

''I was performing snippets of Shakespeare in a modern television context - Shakespeare comes to Neighbours, that sort of thing. I had to make it more attractive to the students. This project gave me a great feel for working at close quarters with a pretty challenging audience - and trying to really connect with them.

''And it taught me that you really need to have initiative and make things happen for yourself. That's the advice I would like to give to those people coming out of a performing arts course.

''At the end of that year, 1989, I got the opportunity to audition for Terrapin Puppet Theatre, and that was the beginning of my career as a puppeteer.''

While at Terrapin Puppet Theatre, Philip learned a lot about dance and movement, thanks to an in-house choreographer. This, together with his music and performing skills, has been instrumental to his success.

Fifteen years on, Philip reflects with great enthusiasm on what has for him become the ideal job:

''Puppetry is a magical experience. And it requires great skill, something that not everybody appreciates. It's way more than 'jiggling a teabag'. Learning the difference between just moving as opposed to animating a puppet has been such a highlight for me. It is a special feeling when you give soul to a puppet and it speaks to your audience. I just love it.''

( Photo courtesy of Steve Mihalenko )