Stephen Foster makes puppets for a living. (Katielee Arrowsmith via SWNS)
One of the last remaining marionette puppet makers in the United Kingdom says the craft is vital to keep theatre alive.
kAm$E6A96? u@DE6C[ cf[ :D @?6 @7 @?=J 2D 76H 2D D:I A6@A=6 >2<:?8 E96 AFAA6ED :? qC:E2:? \ H:E9 E96 2CE @77:4:2==J C64@8?:D65 2D 6?52?86C65]k^Am
kAmw6 >256 9:D 7:CDE AFAA6E 5FC:?8 2 H@@5H@C<:?8 4=2DD :? 9:89 D49@@=[ 27E6C DA@EE:?8 2 A2EE6C? 7@C 2 >2C:@?6EE6 :? 2? @=5 3@@<]k^Am
kAm$E6A96? H6?E @? E@ DEF5J E962EC6 :? 4@==686[ H96C6 96 7@4FD65 @? AFAA6ECJ \ 2?5 >6E 2 >6?E@C[ H9@ E2F89E 9:> E96 :?D 2?5 @FED @7 E96 4C27E]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 J62CD[ $E6A96? 92D 925 G2C:@FD ;@3D \ @7E6? :? E96 E962EC6 \ 3FE 92D >2:?E2:?65 2 D:56\;@3 2D 2 AFAA6E >2<6C[ 9@A:?8 E@ <66A E96 4C27E 2=:G6 7@C 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 EC256 :D ?@H 2E C:D<[ H:E9 2? C646?E 6DE:>2E6 7C@> w6C:E286 rC27ED DF886DE:?8 E92E E96C6 2C6 @?=J 36EH66? e\a_ A6@A=6 :? E96 &z H9@ 6:E96C H@C< 7F==\E:>6 @C A2CE\E:>6 :? E96 EC256]k^Am
(Katielee Arrowsmith via SWNS)
By Talker
kAm$E6A96? @7 t2DE z:=3C:56[ $4@E=2?5[ D2:5i Q%96 7:CDE E:>6 x >256 2 >2C:@?6EE6 H2D 2E 9:89 D49@@=[ H96? H6 925 2 H@@5H@C<:?8 4=2DD :? 7:7E9 J62C]k^Am
kAmQ(6 4@F=5 49@@D6 H92E6G6C H6 H2?E65 E@ >2<6]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 H2D 2? @=5 3@@< 3J 2 >2C:@?6EE6 >2<6C 42==65 (2=5@ {2?496DE6C[ 2?5 96 925 2 A2EE6C? @? E96 324< @7 :E E@ >2<6 2 AFAA6E]k^Am
kAmQx C65:5 :E H96? x >6E >J >6?E@C H96? x H6?E E@ 4@==686[ 2?5 >256 :E 2 3:E =:89E6C 2?5 >@C6 7=6I:3=6[ 2?5 E96? 4@?E:?F65 E@ >2<6 E96> @? 2?5 @77 27E6C E92E]Qk^Am
kAm$E6A96? 42? E2<6 D6G6C2= H66<D E@ 2 >@?E9 E@ 4C62E6 2 AFAA6E[ 56A6?5:?8 @? 9@H 7=6I:3=6 @C 56E2:=65 :E ?665D E@ 36]k^Am
kAm~7E6?[ 96 FD6D E96 AFAA6ED 9:>D6=7 :? G2C:@FD H@C<D9@AD @C A6C7@C>2?46D[ 3FE 92D 366? <?@H? E@ 4C27E 4FDE@> A:646D 7@C G2C:@FD AFAA6E66CD 2?5 4@==64E@CD 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmQ%96 7:CDE A2CE @7 E96 AC@46DD :D 7:?5:?8 @FE H92E E96 492C24E6C :D 2?5 H92E :EVD 8@:?8 E@ =@@< =:<6[ D@ J@F 56D:8? E96 G:DF2=D @7 :E[Q $E6A96? D2:5]k^Am
(Katielee Arrowsmith via SWNS)
By Talker
kAmQ%96? J@FVG6 8@E E@ 7:?5 @FE H92E :EVD 8@E E@ 5@[ 3642FD6 E96C6VD ?@ A@:?E :? >2<:?8 D@>6E9:?8 E92E =@@<D C62==J ?:46 3FE 42?VE >@G6 H6== \ @C 4@?46?EC2E:?8 @? E96 H2=< H96? :? C62=:EJ :EVD 8@:?8 E@ 36 DE2E:4]k^Am
kAmQxE 42? 36 2 =@?8 AC@46DD[ 2?5 6DA64:2==J H:E9 >2C:@?6EE6D[ 2 3:E @7 EC:2= 2?5 6CC@C[ 3642FD6 32=2?46 :D D@ :>A@CE2?E H:E9 E96>]k^Am
kAmQx 5:5 D@>6 7@C 2? 6I9:3:E:@? \ E96J H6C6 56D:8?D 32D65 @? C62= 32==6E 4@DEF>6D[ D@ x 925 E@ :?E6CAC6E E96 4@DEF>6D D@ J@F 4@F=5 C64@8?:D6 E96> 7C@> E96 @C:8:?2= 56D:8?D]k^Am
kAmQx 5@?VE <?@H @7 E96 @?6D xVG6 D@=5 @? E92E 2C6 DE:== :? FD6[ 3FE D@>6 @7 E96 62C=J @?6D E92E xVG6 >256 ad J62CD 28@[ xVG6 DE:== 8@E H@C<:?8]k^Am
kAmQxEVD :>A@CE2?E E@ >2<6 E96 AFAA6ED 8@@5 7C@> 2 E649?:42= A@:?E @7 G:6H]k^Am
kAmQx =@@< 2E E96> =:<6 :?DECF>6?ED :? 2 E962EC6 \ J@FVG6 8@E E@ >2<6 E96> A6C7@C> AC@A6C=J] %96JVG6 8@E E@ 36 C@3FDEj E96JVG6 8@E E@ =2DE]k^Am
kAmQ*@F 5@?VE 86?6C2==J 86E 5F77 >FD:42= :?DECF>6?ED :? @C496DEC2D \ E96JVC6 2== 8@@5 BF2=:EJ]k^Am
kAmQxEVD E96 D2>6 H:E9 E96 AFAA6ED] %96JVG6 8@E E@ 36 @7 2 DE2?52C5 D@ E92E E96J A6C7@C> AC@A6C=J 2?5 E96 A6C7@C>6C 42? 86E 6G6CJE9:?8 @FE @7 E96>]Qk^Am
kAmqFE >2C:@?6EE6 >2<:?8 \ E96 2CE @7 4C27E:?8 EC25:E:@?2= AFAA6ED 7C@> H@@5 2?5 DEC:?8 \ :D ?@H 2? 6?52?86C65 4C27E]k^Am
kAm$E6A96? 36=:6G6D E92E EC25:E:@?2= >2C:@?6EE6D 2C6 364@>:?8 =6DD A@AF=2C 5F6 E@ E96 E:>6 :E E2<6D E@ =62C? 9@H E@ >2<6 E96> >@G6 D62>=6DD=J]k^Am
(Katielee Arrowsmith via SWNS)
By Talker
kAmw6 D2:5i QxEVD 2 5:77:4F=E E9:?8 AC@76DD:@?2==J[ 3642FD6 :E E2<6D 2 =@?8 E:>6 7@C D@>6@?6 E@ =62C?]k^Am
kAmQtG6? :7 J@F 2C6 FD65 E@ >2C:@?6EE6D[ J@F 92G6 E@ 2=>@DE 3C62< @?6 :? E@ 86E FD65 E@ :E]k^Am
kAmQ#646?E=J[ E96J E6?5 E@ 36 >@C6 AC:G2E6 @C 564@C2E:G6 A:646D E@ H@C< H:E9]Qk^Am
kAm$E6A96? 9@A6D E@ <66A E96 4C27E 2=:G6 \ 2D 96 36=:6G6D E92E AFAA6E D9@HD 2C6 @7E6? 2 49:=5VD 7:CDE :?EC@5F4E:@? E@ E962EC6]k^Am
kAmw6 36=:6G6D E92E <66A:?8 AFAA6E66C:?8 2=:G6 H:== 6?4@FC286 ?6H 86?6C2E:@?D @7 <66? E962E6C\8@6CD 2?5 A2EC@?D @7 E96 2CED]k^Am
kAmQp 8@@5 =:G6 E962EC6 6IA6C:6?46 :D :?4C65:3=6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ!FAA6E E962EC6 :D 2? 6?ECJH2J 7@C >@DE <:5D :?E@ E962EC6]k^Am
kAmQuC@> 2? 6IA6C:6?46 A@:?E @7 G:6H 7@C E96 2F5:6?46[ :EVD :>A@CE2?E E92E H92E J@F 4C62E6 :D @7 2 9:89 DE2?52C5 2?5 :E 6?4@FC286D A6@A=6 E@ 4@>6 324< E@ E96 E962EC6]k^Am
kAmQx7 J@F 86E E92E C:89E[ J@FVG6 A@DD:3=J D6E FA 2? 2F5:6?46 7@C 7FEFC6 A=2JD \ 7FEFC6 E962EC6\8@6CD E@ <66A E92E 2=:G6]Qk^Am