The genius puppetry behind War Horse | Handspring Puppet Company

TL;DR

Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones discuss the process of creating and evolving a puppet horse, from their early experiments to the creation of Joey for the play "War Horse."

Transcript

Adrian Kohler: Well, we're here today to talk about the evolution of a puppet horse. Basil Jones: But actually we're going to start this evolution with a hyena. AK: The ancestor of the horse. Okay, we'll do something with it. (Laughter) Hahahaha. The hyena is the ancestor of the horse because it was part of a production called "Faustus in Africa," ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎭 Puppets have the ability to come alive on stage and evoke emotions, requiring breath and movement to create a sense of life and connection with the audience.
• 🔧 Puppets are objects meticulously constructed using a combination of old and new technologies, using wood, cloth, plywood, and cane to create a convincing and expressive character.
• 🎪 Puppetry has a rich history and tradition in different cultures, such as the Bambara Bamana puppets of Mali, which helped the puppeteers gain a renewed respect for the art form.
• 🏭 The process of designing and creating puppets is complex and handmade, involving careful planning, prototypes, and constant refinement to ensure the puppet can fulfill its intended functionality and perform convincingly.
• 🐎 The puppet horse in particular was a major challenge that required innovative engineering and manipulation techniques to create a lifelike character that could be ridden and participate in coordinated movements like cavalry charges.
• 🎥 The puppet horse's design includes various features and mechanisms, such as movable ears, legs controlled by string tendons, tail articulation, and the illusion of breathing, all operated by skilled puppeteers, each responsible for a specific component.
• 📚 The puppet horse played a crucial role in the theater production of "War Horse," based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, and its success led to further development and refinement of the horse puppet, eventually becoming a staple of Handspring Puppet Company's repertoire.
• 👏 The performance of the puppet horse relies on the extensive research and expertise of the puppeteers, studying horse behavior and coordinating their actions to create a cohesive and believable character on stage.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the concept of a puppet horse for "War Horse" come about?

The idea for a puppet horse for "War Horse" came about when Tom Morris of the National Theatre saw Handspring Puppet Company's production about a tall giraffe and mentioned Michael Morpurgo's book, "War Horse," to Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones.

Q: What were some of the challenges in creating the puppet horse?

One of the challenges in creating the puppet horse was designing a structure that could be ridden and participate in cavalry charges. The weight and movement had to be carefully balanced to ensure the puppet was manageable for the puppeteers.

Q: How did the puppeteers bring the horse to life on stage?

The puppeteers studied horse behavior extensively to mimic their movements and sounds. They had to communicate non-verbally while on stage and coordinate their actions to create a realistic portrayal of a horse.

Q: What materials were used to construct the puppet horse?

The puppet horse was primarily made of cane, which provided flexibility, durability, and a lightweight structure. The skin of the puppet was made from a see-through nylon mesh to allow the puppeteers inside to see and interact with their fellow actors.

Q: How did they create the illusion of breathing in the puppet horse?

Initially, there was a plan to split the chest of the puppet horse to simulate the expansion and contraction of a real horse's chest during breathing. However, they ultimately decided to create a simple up and down movement in the chest to mimic breath, achieved by the puppeteers breathing with their knees.

Q: What emotional indicators did they incorporate into the puppet horse?

The puppet horse had movable ears, which indicated fear or relaxation depending on their position. The puppeteers could also make the horse's skin quiver and shake its body to convey emotional responses.

Q: How did the lighting affect the appearance of the puppet horse?

The use of lighting could make the puppet horse appear ghostlike or more solid. By lighting the background, the see-through nylon mesh skin allowed the skeletal structure of the puppet to be visible, creating a ghostly effect. Lighting from above made the puppet appear more solid.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones talk about the evolution of a puppet horse, starting with their work on a hyena puppet for a theater production in 1995.

• They explain how breath and movement are essential for bringing puppets to life on stage.

• The duo shares the challenges and innovations involved in creating Joey, the life-sized puppet horse for the play "War Horse."