‘Taking the car engine apart and show[ing] all the bits’: Adapting Shakespeare for the contemporary British puppet stage

How does one interpret Shakespeare, in the puppetry medium in which the physical being, and not the famous ‘words, words, words’, is meant to be the primary draw? Contemporary British puppet companies, however, have shown a tendency to rethink and question the physical essence of performing Shakespeare. Through a study of shows and workshops by Blind Summit (London) and Forced Entertainment (Sheffield), this article explores how object theatre and bunraku puppets can offer fresh interpretations of Shakespeare's works.