Fascination Puppet
Chaz (Lumiere)
In collaboration with Mike Pattison and Sofie Layton.
A unique rod puppet design which 18 partners from around the country replicated in a week long residency at the Kinetika Studio, 2009.
The characters were based loosely on The Little Prince story and were to see their world from the perspective of a small child in an alien landscape.
The figure was 90cm (approx height of 3-4yr old) and made from plywood profile shapes skinned with a distinct patterned aluminium mesh.
The puppet is held at the end of parallel poles harnessed to the central performer. From here the figure can bend, move head in all directions and blink eyelids.
Each hand is controlled by it’s own performer via a rod with one person on the legs.
The aim was that 4 performers would allow for a wide range of natural movements together with the ability to fly and jump higher than adults.
Because they were always with, yet a distance away from the small figure they became part of it’s performance, both stewards and audience.
The puppets were all named and have been collecting stories around the country ever since.
