Handsprings work has been presented in more than thirty countries around the world. The handspring puppet company achieved critical acclaim when war horse premiered at the royal national theatre in south bank, london, on 17 october 2007. This paper examines the performance, woyzeck on the highveld by the handspring puppet company from an intercultural point of view. Woyzeck on the highveld, a puppet theater version by south africanbased handspring puppet company, directed by william kentridge. The play is based on the hearings of south africas truth and reconciliation. Adrian kohler and basil jones of the handspring puppet company present gipcas first great textsbig questions lecture for 2012. The handspring puppet company is a south african puppetry performance and design company with locations in south africa, england and the usa. Woyzeck on the highveld, 19922009, south africa, makhanda, johannesburg, cape. Handspring puppet company 21 blvd way, 7945 cape town, western cape rated 4. Handspring puppet theatres woyzeck on the highveld first performed in 1992. Handspring puppet company was founded in 1981 and has grown under the leadership of artistic director adrian kohler and executive producer basil jones for 30 years. May 04, 2011 handspring puppet company wins tony award. Sep 25, 2012 handspring puppet company is best known for its extraordinary lifesized horse puppets in the national theatres 2009 production of war horse, which went on to a recordbreaking run in the west. Woyzeck, a play by splendid productions which performs the scenes as they were found, rather than chronologically.
Looking at the similarities between the two disciplines, basil jones and adrian kohler explain that, like architecture, puppets dont live unless there are people inside them. Handspring puppet company was founded in 1981 by four graduates of the michaelis school of fine art in cape town, south africa. Kentridges visually arresting environment for bergs opera utilizes projected films, charcoal drawings, old photographs, maps, and images of battledecimated landscapes. Handspring puppet company was founded by adrian kohler, basil jones, jill joubert and jon weinberg with the original aim of creating original south african plays for children. Two of the cofounders, adrian kohler and basil jones, continue to run the company. This book focuses on puppet theatre and the substance. Woyzeck on the highveld an adaptation of german writer georg buchners famous play of jealousy, murder and the struggle of an ordinary man against an uncaring society which eventually destroys him. In this puppet theater adaptation, woyzeck is a black south african servant enduring injustice during apartheid. The south africa artist william kentridge has been working for more than three decades in visual art, animation, theatre, and film. Ubu and the truth commission combines puppetry, performance by live actors, music, animation and documentary footage. Handspring puppet companys woyzeck on the highveld magical, wondrous and darkly poetic in equal parts.
With reference to temple grandins animals in translation, these. Kohler and jones worked with directors marianne elliott and tom morris and choreographer toby sedgwick to design and construct lifesized horse puppets, controlled by three actors. Please refer to attached annexes for more information. The first landmark collaboration between celebrated artist william kentridge and internationally renowned handspring puppet company, woyzeck on the highveld transposes buchners timeless tale to 1950s south africa. In 1983, kohler and jones became the sole producers of the company. Woyzeck on the highveld 1992 was the teams first collaboration and the artists have since gone on to create numerous worldacclaimed productions, such as kentridges the nose at the metropolitan opera and handspring puppet companys tony and olivier awardwinner war horse with londons national theatre. For this collaboration between south africas handspring puppet company and renowned artist william kentridge, animated film, live performances, south africaninspired music, and wood puppets are. A midsummer nights dream a bristol old vic production in association with handspring puppet company cocommissioned by spoleto festival usa by william shakespeare director tom morris puppet design, fabrication and direction handspring puppet company.
In june 2010 handspring puppet company, were the recipients of an honorary tony award in new york, a distinction marking the culmination of many years of beautiful, thoughtprovoking puppetry from the company they. English director tom morris and south africas handspring puppet company brought the world war. Although handspring puppet company has toured internationally since the 1980s, they first came to the united states in 1994, when woyzeck on the highveld, the first of several collaborations. Handspring s work has been presented in more than 30 countries around the world. Overleaf william kentridge studio during rehearsals of woyzeck on the highveld, 2008. Originally they created shows for children and thereafter works for adult audiences. Mar 21, 2011 handspring puppet company will likely be a book useful to those aspiring puppeteers eager to hear the chronicles of those who have paved the way for modern puppetry. Jul 29, 2016 ubu and the truth commission combines puppetry, performance by live actors, music, animation and documentary footage. Two actors operate the legs and a third controls the head and. We have made our image descriptions, originally written for people using screen readers, available to all site visitors. Company overview and history handspring puppet company. In 1992 with woyzeck on the highveld, handspring began the first of several collaborations with kentridge, and for the first time combined puppets and film animation. Handspring puppet company residency cal performances. Speaking at aza2012 in cape town, handspring puppet company tell us that architecture is a key influence in their puppetry.
Ubu and the truth commission jane taylor, william kentridge. Set in the tense twilight of apartheid, woyzeck on the highveld uses animated film by renowned artist and filmmaker william kentridge, and handcarved wood puppets created by south africas acclaimed handspring puppet company to reveal the agitated mind of a man trying to make sense of his circumstances. Handspring puppet company, the south african theatre makers now most celebrated for war horse, but also celebrated for such shows as woyzeck on. Handspring puppet company presents gipcas first lecture. Handsprings work has been presented in more than 30 countries around the world. The different attitudes concerning its reception with a strong emphasis made on the 2011 performance in hungary are comparable with the historicity of the classical text of the drama. Oct 30, 2009 handspring puppet company edited by jane taylor, with essays by jane taylor, adrienne sichel, adrian kohler, william kentridge, gerhard marx, lesego rampolokeng and basil jones, jane taylor on. Mca handspring puppet company woyzeck on the highveld. Handspring puppet company wins tony award the mail. In 1990, jones set up a not for profit ngo handspring trust, which produced the award winning spiders place, an innovative, multimedia science education series for tv, radio and comic aimed at young learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Handspring puppet company presents gipcas first lecture for 2012. Kentridges visually arresting environment for bergs opera utilizes.
Handspring puppet company woyzeck on the highveld mca. Buchners woyzeck is a german soldier in 1800s, but in this version, woyzeck is a migrant worker in 1950s johannesburg, a landscape of barren. The handspring puppet company of south africa created a production entitled woyzeck on the highveld. Mar 22, 2014 puppets make a midsummer nights dream magical at kennedy center world stages fest. For this collaboration between south africas handspring puppet company and renowned artist william kentridge, animated film, live.
Directed by kentridge, this powerful production is an adaptation of german writer georg. Dec 17, 2012 for this collaboration between south africas handspring puppet company and renowned artist william kentridge, animated film, live performances, south africaninspired music, and wood puppets are. The artists of handspring puppet company lead a workshop on puppet construction and ma. A fascinating introduction is followed by a chronology detailing the companys productions to date. Ubu and the truth commission is the full play text of a multidimensional theatre piece which tries to make sense of the madness which overtook south africa during apartheid. Puppets make a midsummer nights dream magical at kennedy center world stages fest. Handspring puppet company is based in cape town, south africa, the company provides an artistic home and professional base for a core group of performers, designers, theatre artists and technicians. Apr 10, 2014 the handspring puppet company guys of south africa, the fellas who created the remarkable lifesizeand rideablehorse puppets for the stage versions of war horse, are back in town. Although handspring puppet company has toured internationally since the 1980s, they first came to the united states in 1994, when woyzeck on the highveld.
The handspring puppet company is a puppetry performance and design company established. Handspring puppet company is best known for its extraordinary lifesized horse puppets in the national theatres 2009 production of war horse, which went. Handspring puppet company world encyclopedia of puppetry arts. Media coveragefollowing the smashhit success of warhorse, handspring puppet company has scaled up production of the horse puppets. Founders of the handspring puppet company pick their favourite five books on puppeteering. Cofounder and executive producer of handspring puppet company, jones completed his bfa at uct where he met future husband, adrian kohler. For this collaboration between south africas handspring puppet company and renowned artist william kentridge, animated film, live performances, south africaninspired music, and wood puppets are used to present an adaptation of german writer georg buchners famous, unfinished play of jealousy, murder, and the struggle of an individual against an uncaring society which eventually destroys him. Puppets make a midsummer nights dream magical at kennedy. Enid blyton and african scenery and animals both make the cut, as does samesex behaviour in the natural world. For this collaboration between south africas handspring puppet company and renowned artist william kentridge, animated film, live performances, south africaninspired music, and wood puppets are used to. The best books on puppeteering recommended by basil jones and adrian kohler. He was a founding member of the junction avenue theatre company in johannesburg and soweto from 19751991 and collaborated with the handspring puppet company on the multimedia productions, also directed by him, including. Based in cape town, south africa, the company provides an artistic home and professional base for a core group of performers, designers, theatre artists and technicians. The handspring puppet company is a puppetry performance and design company established in 1981 by adrian kohler, basil jones, jon weinberg and jill joubert.
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