Puppet transgression: An alternative and personal view of puppetry in the UK

In 1951 British puppeteer Rene Strange is captured in a Pathé clip
transgressing the boundaries of acceptance by performing with an abusive male marionette. Later in the twentieth century Doo Cot provoked audiences with openly queer narratives and images challenging audiences with their object performances.

This article charts the history of transgression and deviation in puppetry exploring interstitial practices around othered bodies. The iniquitousness of puppetry is presented as a rich genealogy of practices breaking conventions and rules.

This article will chart an alternative genealogy of puppetry moving from the margins to the mainstream in UK theatre cultures. The author will draw on their own ethnography and dérive through the changing landscape of UK puppetry. The argument presented is that puppetry draws an alternative path to the traditions of theatre and breaks apart the dramaturgy of things in performance. This article links to the themes of popular
puppetry traditions, the dramaturgy for puppets, lesser-known histories, puppets as a phenomenon without borders, puppetry and community.