From: "Bob Frith" <bobfrith-AT-madasafish.com> Subject: PUPT: Maybe They're Right.. audiences for puppetry Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 10:14:07 +0100 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. Like most interesting discussions this is a complex subject. When I established Horse + Bamboo Theatre in the '70's it was in part an attempt to deal with the perception that puppetry was primarily a theatre for children. It's true, too, that most theatre is a minority interest. Before setting up a company I had seen excellent touring productions that played to average audiences of 4 or 5 people and maybe a dog, and where half the tour itinerary was cancelled for lack of an audience. Outside of a few theatre spaces in urban areas that had established a reputation and audience for 'radical' theatre, it was clearly very difficult to find an audience. I chose to use horse-drawn transport for touring for no other reason than because I thought that it might attract an audience to a theatre that wouldn't normally give it a try. And it worked - and continued to work for the next 20 years. Why? I think for a number of reasons - first, because in order to set up a tour we had to go out and meet people - the village hall committee, the farmer who provided grazing, the scout group who would supply teas, and so on. Secondly, the slow moving entourage acted as a mobile advertising hoarding. Thirdly because it created a 'handle' for the imagination - something that conjured up ideas of 'travelling players' for example. In other words something that whilst clearly contemporary, also seemed to have roots, a tradition - not unlike puppetry itself of course. So the creativity that goes into making a production shouldn't end at the footlights. If it extends into questioning and working out how to present a show, how to attract an audience, how to get people to care about what you're doing, and to make their own investment in it, then it is perfectly possible to reach a wide and varied cross-section of people. Bob Frith Artistic Director Horse + Bamboo www.horseandbamboo.org
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Like most interesting discussions this is a complex subject. When I established Horse + Bamboo Theatre in the =9170=92s it was in part an attempt to deal with the perception that puppetry was primarily a theatre for children.
It's true, too, that most theatre is a minority interest. Before setting up a company I had seen excellent touring productions that played to average audiences of 4 or 5 people and maybe a dog, and where half the tour itinerary was cancelled for lack of an audience. Outside of a few theatre spaces in urban areas that had established a reputation and audience for =91radical=92 theatre, it was clearly very difficult to find an audience.
I chose to use horse-drawn transport for touring for no other reason than because I thought that it might attract an audience to a theatre that wouldn=92t normally give it a try. And it worked =96 and continued to work for the next 20 years. Why? I think for a number of reasons =96 first, because in order to set up a tour we had to go out and meet people =96 the village hall committee, the farmer who provided grazing, the scout group who would supply teas, and so on. Secondly, the slow moving entourage acted as a mobile advertising hoarding. Thirdly because it created a =91handle=92 for the imagination =96 something that conjured up ideas of =91travelling players=92 for example. In other words something that whilst clearly contemporary, also seemed to have roots, a tradition =96 not unlike puppetry itself of course.
So the creativity that goes into making a production shouldn=92t end at the footlights. If it extends into questioning and working out how to present a show, how to attract an audience, how to get people to care about what you=92re doing, and to make their own investment in it, then it is perfectly possible to reach a wide and varied cross-section of people.
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