Handspring Puppet Company: Recent Episodes

National Theatre

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.

In July 2012 the puppet makers from the Handspring Puppet Company, creators of the War Horse puppets, visited London to see the show for the first time.

See inside the workshop of the Handspring Puppet Company and discover how they make all the puppets for the show.

Handspring Puppet Company demonstrate the horse puppets on the stage

Basil and Adrian speak about what is next for them after War Horse

Basil and Adrian talk about how and why the chose the name.

The most ambitious project Handspring had undertaken before War Horse

Basil and Adrian discuss the key questions and skills needed to make a puppet.

Interview in which Basil and Adrian discuss the power of a puppet

A puppet can be seen as a medium of communication.

Basil and Adrian talk about the difference between puppetry and acting.

Basil and Adrian met at art school and formed a company.

The influence of African stories on Handspring

Images, interviews and timeline of the play.

Playwright Neil Bartlett talks about writing for puppets

How puppeteers collaborate to create a puppet's persona

Breath creates the illusion of life in a puppet.