Puppetry: A Reader in Theatre Practice

PENNY FRANCISis Honorary Fellowof the Central School of Speech and Drama, London,UK,where sheis Lecturer in Puppetry.She isco-founder ofthe Puppet Centre Trust, the national development agency for the art form, and was awarded the MBE for services to puppetry in 1998.Francis is collaborating editor of three volumes, Aspects of Puppet Theatre and A History of European Puppetry (Volumes One and Two) and has written numerous articles for international conferences and journals.

• IntroductionApproachRelated ArtsTechniquesIn PerformanceDramaturgyAestheticsHistoryConclusionBibliographyIndex.

'This book is an excellent addition to the shelf of any student or scholar of puppetry, and achieves its ambition in appealing to a broader readership than is typical for a book on puppetry. Any writer, designer or director who is considering working with puppets for the first time will also benefit greatly from Frabcis' book, which is a thoughtful, accessible and timely contribution to the literature.' - Puppet Notebook 'What a marvelous guide to puppetry in the 21st century.' - Nancy Lohman Staub, Founder/Consultant, Center for Puppetry Arts Museum and Library, Atlanta. Georgia, USA 'Penny Francis's Puppetry does a magnificent job of explaining essential elements of puppet theatre and puppet history, and the performance contexts of contemporary puppet performance...Francis's book is like Peter Brook on directing, David Mamet on acting, or Brecht writing about theatre theory - like the works of Brook, Mamet, and Brecht, the author's opinions are extremely useful, provocative, and always suggesting larger and alternative points of view.' - John Bell, Director of the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, University of Connecticut, puppeteer and member of the award-winning Great Small Works Theatre Company, USA