Tag Archives: upcycling

More New Fairytale Shadow Puppets…

Posted on by Collette Knowles
Reply

Here are more progress puppets for our upcoming show “Fairytales of Wit, Wisdom and Witchcraft” (CLICK HERE to find out more). I have overshot my initial estimate for how long it would take me to make all the puppets, but if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well and taking a little more time, I feel.

We have here now the puppets for “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and a few puppets for “Chicken Licken” or “Chicken Little” as I believe it is better known in America.

As I said in my previous post, (CLICK HERE TO VIEW) I have been using cereal and pizza boxes for environmental reasons and to show how much is possible using recycled materials. The cutting out has been with a combination of scissors, craft knife and Indonesian Shadow Puppet Chisels for some of the cut out details.

Making an articulated Goldilocks puppet that will be able to sit down in chairs…
Starting a Baby/Little Bear Puppet…
Mother/Middle sized bear started…
Finished Little/Baby and Middle sized/Mother Bear
Starting Big/Father Bear…
3 finished Bears together
Big Billy Goat Gruff…
Finished Big Billy goat and starting Middle sized Goat…
Middle sized goat and Little Goat started
The body is good but the head is too small, so a larger one is made
3 Billy Goats Gruff
Middle sized Goat has finishing cut out touches added
Starting the Troll…
Trial of elasticated jaw mech.
Drawing a Granny to go with Wolf and Red Riding Hood already complete…
Wolf’s head blown up on photocopier to make large articulated wolf’s head for swallowing people whole/talking
finished head with Granny drawing and puppet making list…
Granny roughly cut out with wolf in bed drawing…
2nd Wolf Head with Granny’s cap and glasses created by drawing round the first one
Separate bed and Granny head and bloated snoozing wolf started…
Snoozing Wolf on bed
Snoozing wolf with articulated tummy
Top half of Woodcutter
Complete Woodcutter with axe and scissors
Woodcutter and snoozing wolf
Fox for Chicken Licken
Fox, Chicken Licken and Acorn

If you have a question or a comment about the puppets do please put it on the post, I always to try to reply 🙂

I am taking bookings for this show and accompanying workshops from August 2025 onwards. It is particularly suitable for schools and libraries and fits in nicely with the light and shadow and traditional tales (fairy tales) topic.

If you need a show or a workshop sooner than this, do get in touch as I have many existing shows and workshops that we can do to meet your needs. Just get in touch and I will be happy to supply quotes and talk to you about your needs/event. We have puppet shows and workshops for indoors and outdoors, festivals, community events, theatres, youth theatres etc. CLICK HERE to contact me 🙂

Theatres or theatre companies please get in touch for puppet commissions, training, residencies, collaborations etc.

To stay up to date with this project and all my news, please subscribe for the newsletter.

If you want to see Rough Magic Theatre live, our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party show will be coming to Congleton Food Festival again this coming Sunday. More details on the WHERE YOU CAN SEE ME page.

This coming Saturday a long awaited new “Al & Kai’s Faboo News” episode will be premiering on You Tube. Subscribe to channel so you don’t miss it (@faboonews). Visit FabooNews.com to find out more about this fantastic puppet based positive news show for families.

Mr. Punch/Kasper is finished!

Posted on by Collette Knowles
2

For those who are interested in the history of Mr. Punch/Kasper you can CLICK HERE for the WIkipedia entry on Punch & Judy and HERE for more info. on his German cousin Kasper. If you missed the beginning of my process making a body for this puppet head, look back through my blog posts for the first two instalments 🙂

I got this finished just in time for Christmas and luckily it seems to work for my son’s hand size. I used all bits of fabric and beads etc. that I already had knocking about – the only thing I purchased new for it was the sewing thread and replacement needle for the sewing machine when I broke it!

The little bells were purchased years ago and were originally from a set of cheapo Christmas earrings reduced price to 50p for about 4 sets (or something like that).

Please feel free to make a comments or ask any questions about the making process 🙂 Happy New Year everyone! That’s the way to do it!

Also please CLICK HERE to get in touch if you would like to book an existing show or workshop or commission a new puppet or show for the coming year. CLICK HERE to visit the main website to see what we have to offer 🙂

You can also CLICK HERE to visit our Rough Magic Theatre merch shop. This year will be Rough Magic Theatre’s 25 year anniversary – what designs would you like to see in the shop this year?