
Theatre-Rites
Animating Puppets, Objects and Sites
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 29. July 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
234 pages
978-1-138-35227-8 (ISBN)
Description
Theatre-Rites are regarded as pioneers in the field of object-led and site-specific performance, creating ground-breaking work for family audiences since 1995. This book marks the company's 25th anniversary, offering the first in-depth exploration of artistic director Sue Buckmaster's visionary practice, in which anything can be animated.
This book draws on original research, including five years of in-depth interviews between its authors, images from Theatre-Rites' archive and Buckmaster's private collection, detailed observations from the company's professional training workshops and personal reflections on past productions. A timely and compelling advocacy for the importance of high-quality experimental arts provision for young audiences is made, distilling learning from decades of the company's professional activities to motivate and empower the next generation of object-led theatre-makers.
Theatre-Rites: Animating Puppets, Objects and Sites is an invaluable resource for any puppeteer, actor, dancer, visual artist, poet or student interested in expanding their understanding of how to incorporate puppetry and/or symbolic objects as metaphors in their work.
This book draws on original research, including five years of in-depth interviews between its authors, images from Theatre-Rites' archive and Buckmaster's private collection, detailed observations from the company's professional training workshops and personal reflections on past productions. A timely and compelling advocacy for the importance of high-quality experimental arts provision for young audiences is made, distilling learning from decades of the company's professional activities to motivate and empower the next generation of object-led theatre-makers.
Theatre-Rites: Animating Puppets, Objects and Sites is an invaluable resource for any puppeteer, actor, dancer, visual artist, poet or student interested in expanding their understanding of how to incorporate puppetry and/or symbolic objects as metaphors in their work.
Reviews / Votes
'This book promises to be a seminal work on the subversive art of puppetry and the essential work of theatre-making for children and families. The book explores the sophisticated thinking underpinning Sue Buckmaster's approach and illuminates the mysteries of animating puppets and objects. Multiple insights and examples connect the theoretical with the practical processes of creativity, which are always guided by care and curiosity. It is indeed a "ceremonial object" as Theatre-Rites celebrates its 25th anniversary.'-Elizabeth Lynch MBE, chair of Theatre-Rites
'A gift of a book. A celebration of 25 years of Theatre-Rites, one of the world's most joyous and ingenious theatre companies, and a thought-provoking meditation on children, creativity and object-led theatre.'
-Lyn Gardner, theatre critic and associate editor of The Stage
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
45 s/w Abbildungen, 45 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
45 Halftones, black and white; 45 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
365 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-138-35227-8 (9781138352278)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
07/2021
1st Edition
Routledge
€206.30
Shipment within 10-20 days

E-Book
07/2021
1st Edition
Routledge
€52.49
Available for download
Persons
Liam Jarvis is a theatre-maker, director and practitioner-researcher. He is currently Co-Director of the Centre for Theatre Research (CTR) and a Senior Lecturer in Theatre in the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies (LiFTS) at the University of Essex.
Sue Buckmaster is the artistic director of Theatre-Rites and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family. She has many years of experience as a director, puppetry specialist and teacher, and has worked with a wide variety of companies including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Young Vic, Sadler's Wells, Three Sixty Entertainment, Akram Khan Company and Complicite.
Sue Buckmaster is the artistic director of Theatre-Rites and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family. She has many years of experience as a director, puppetry specialist and teacher, and has worked with a wide variety of companies including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Young Vic, Sadler's Wells, Three Sixty Entertainment, Akram Khan Company and Complicite.
Content
1 Introduction 2 The Birth of Theatre-Rites 3 Puppet Whispering and Object-led Play 4 Puppetry and Actors: The Extension of the Ego 5 Puppetry and Child Development: Making Child-friendly Performances 6 Dance and Puppetry: The Place for Abstraction 7 Site-specific Theatre for Families 8 Objects, Power and Personal Political Narratives 9 Puppetry and Death 10 Cross-artform Collaborations: Playing Across Artforms 11 Interdisciplinarity in Object-theatre: Playing Across Different Fields 12 Sue Buckmaster's Theatrical Ancestry