You might be surprised to find out that as well as some of the best singers, dancers, and actors in the world, London theatres have also been home to some of the most impressive puppets to ever grace a stage. Let's look at some of the best puppets to have ever appeared on stage in a West End theatre.
Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors (2006-2007 production)
Designed by David Farley but built by the exceptionally clever people at a special effects company named Artem, the most recent incarnation of Audrey II was the first to put her roots down in London for over 20 years.
The monstrous plant appeared in four different stages of growth during its starring run at the Menier Chocolate Factory/The Duke of York's Theatre and Atrem built and installed all four puppets in just six weeks. The first, a 40cm hand-operated puppet plant in a coffee tin was not all that challenging; it was the 2.3m version, capable of singing and swallowing a large portion of the cast, that was hard work.
The initial sculpture of the largest Audrey II weighed half a tonne and could only be manoeuvred with a forklift truck. On top of this, engineers had to be called in to design mechanisms to create realistic movement in Audrey II's many tendrils.
Despite all this, Audrey II was installed on time and went on to become one of the most memorable puppets to have ever appeared in the West End.
Joey, War Horse (current production)
Without sounding overdramatic, the horse puppets in War Horse at the New London theatre can be best described as otherworldly. They were made by Adrian Kohler and Thys Stander out of nothing more than cane, string and fabric.
To make a War Horse horse, Kohler and Stander simply bend canes around plywood shapes, bind the ends with string, assemble, and cover with translucent fabrics. The result, you would assume, should be an exotically-shaped scarecrow but somehow Kohler and Stander create some of the most stunning puppets ever using only the simplest methods.
Most impressively of all, the delicate cane and fabric puppets can carry human riders thanks to aluminium spines.
Over 50% of the cast, Avenue Q (current production)
You could be forgiven for thinking that the most puppet-heavy show in London's West End is for children. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Avenue Q stars a cast that look like they've wandered straight off Sesame Street but don't let that fool you. Those puppets are so foul-mouthed that the makers of Avenue Q are obliged to make it VERY clear that they are in no way affiliated with The Muppets or Sesame Street.
You'll understand why Avenue Q is somewhat of a pariah in the puppet world when you see the very graphic, noisy, and utterly ridiculous sex scene. You'd never see Elmo doing the do while singing You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want If You're Making Love. Not while he's working anyway, what he gets up to on his own time is his own business.
Avenue Q's puppets are not ground-breaking or even unusual, it's the way they are used that stands out. Not since Muppets Tonight have puppets been used so successfully in adult entertainment.
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
