Shadow Tips and Clips from a Puppeteer

Shadow puppetry is different from other kinds of puppetry in that the puppet itself does not work in isolation. You need three things to make shadow puppetry:
1. The shadow puppet. This can be a traditionally made puppet which, either a black silhouette or very colourful or it could be an interesting shaped object like a doll, a sieve or a twig. Or you could use yourself or part of yourself or a group of you to make strange and wonderful creatures.
2. The Screen. This could be sheet you’ve hung up made of fabric or paper. It could be fixed to a frame, large (lighting bars/easels) or small (a cardboard box). It could be floating free to create ripple effects or held by hand and moved about the space to ‘catch’ the shadows.
3. The Light. You can use simple domestic lamps or torches [if your room is dark enough!] or, if you have one, an overhead projector can be used to great effect because you have the flat surface, for backgrounds, and the vertical space for your puppets to move in. And don’t forget the biggest light of all, the sun. On the right day, at the right place you can create a wonderful outdoor shadow show.

I’ve tried to select some clips that reflect the breadth of Shadow Puppetry worldwide.
Traditionally when people think of shadow puppetry they think of Chinese [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir07rVbpKNw] and Balinese style puppets. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIpn3Jp0y04&playnext_from=TL&videos=U1-DR3U8aZU&playnext=1] However there is also a strong and ancient tradition of shadow puppetry from Turkey [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKQ4GRq8cyA&playnext_from=TL&videos=gfF7avBF2_I&playnext=1] in the form of Karagoz, who is a mischievous character rather like our Mr. Punch.
And for a long time people have been developing their own styles of shadow puppetry in other parts of the world. Some present very simple ‘traditional’ puppets on a flat cinema-like screen to great effect, like Richard Bradshaw from Australia, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNsJ6kDVbfk&feature=PlayList&p=7FA88AF2DE7C5A3C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8] while others like to play with depth and unusual materials to create their shadow play. Whilst others experiment with using their hands and bodies incorporated into the shadow like Ginat from Israel, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOzkagviIbA], or just use only their hands to tell a story [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiTxRlih3H4]

I hope this blog gives you some food for thought. Why not go on a shadow hunt to collect ideas for your own show!

Zannie Fraser