The 21^st of March was World Puppetry Day, a day on which this art form is recognised globally.

By Angie Millard

Photos by Lucy Barriball and Robert Day

Puppets can embody human, animal, or abstract form and they can be used to convey myth and cultural significance in a way that the human actor simply cannot.

Egypt, Greece, India, Java, and China have used it to reflect their culture, folklore, and religious beliefs.

In Medieval times European puppetry was used to teach morality to a largely illiterate population. I have seen the water puppets in Vietnam and the shadow puppets of Indonesia. I have seen Agitprop performed in Sloane square outside The Royal Court Theatre by The Bread and Puppet Theatre in 1968 and last night I witnessed an exquisite performance of Shakespeare’s poem Venus and Adonis, directed by Greg Doran, and I remembered how truly magical it is.

There was a narrator: Simon Russell Beale, an acclaimed, Shakespearean actor who conveyed the humour and action vividly as well as the sad romanticism of the piece. On stage with him was guitarist Nick Lee who was a musician in the original production in 2004 and contributed massively to the atmosphere.

The puppeteers are all experienced in forms of physical theatre. The designer and creator, Lyndie Wright MBE, created The Little Angel Theatre in 1961 and has made this art form her lifetime’s work. The chief protagonists of the story were extraordinarily designed. The audience forgot their wooden forms and became enchanted by their tale of love and loss. I adored the playful horses and terrifying boar; the hares and dogs hunted ferociously. The audience became silently absorbed.

Puppets convey messages superbly and I saw an enactment against the mafia in Palermo recently which captured the terror of their regime which no actor could.

I can only encourage you to see for yourself the power of puppetry; perhaps you could begin with Punch and Judy this summer?

Venus and Adonis was performed by The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Little Angel Theatre Company at York Theatre Royal on Tuesday 30 June 2026.