What goes through the mind of a puppeteer when they operate a character? The Handspring company discuss how they operate their puppets’ thoughts as well as their movements to bring them fully to life.

Interview with Neil Bartlett

Handspring created the puppets for National Theatre productions War Horse and Or You Could Kiss Me. The company (run by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones) was founded in South Africa in 1981, and is today arguably one of the greatest puppetry companies in the world. The National Theatre has a longstanding relationship with Handspring, who provide an artistic home and professional base for a core group of performers, designers, theatre artists and technicians who collaborate with them on a project-by-project basis. Still based in South Africa, they continue to explore the boundaries of adult puppet theatre within an African context.