Rules of Summer // Designing the Puppets
“This show is very much an experiential show, how we feel and experience emotions. Audiences can also experience a feast for the eyes, smell things, some lucky people will be able to taste things…it appeals to a lot of senses.” – Leon Hendroff, Designer, Rules of Summer
How did the Rules of Summer puppets come about?
Designer Leon Hendroff started with Shaun Tan’s detailed illustrations from his Rules of Summer picture book for inspiration. He reinterpreted the detailed illustrations with concept drawings, creating a 3D view of the puppet – drawing from the front, back and side angles.
What are puppets made of?
Puppetry is a movement and visual based work – look out for the snail when you come in the show and see how it moves! The snail movement was inspired by a little toy that was found in an op shop.
Shadow puppet silhouettes were hand-cut by Jesse Wood and are made of plastic sheeting for durability. There are over 50 shadow puppets in the show!
The largest puppet in the show is a large white cat. The cat is over 1 metre tall and is made of foam and fabric. The shape is inspired by a bean bag and it’s made of foam and fabric and is very soft to touch!
There are many wooden puppets in the show which are hand-carved from a solid block of wood by Sanjivia Margio! The wooden puppets include the rabbit and the boy characters. The boy characters are traditional marionette puppets which are controlled with rod and strings. The wooden puppets have beautiful textures and paint work.
Rules of Summer // World Premiere
DATE: 23 September – 8 October
VENUE: Dolphin Theatre, UWA
BOOK TICKETS online or call 9335 5044
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