Visualising Shakespeare: The impact of puppetry on dramaturgy and interpretation

Contemporary puppetry reveals complex layers of meaning in Shakespeare's plays by exploring the interactions between dramaturgy, puppets and objects, and mental images. This study examines this complexity, focusing on (1) how object theatre repurposes objects to represent characters, exploiting the meta-theatrical dimension of Shakespeare's work; (2) how object theatre reconstructs dramatic action from a character's point of view, enriching their subjectivity; (3) how puppeteers resurrect the past with ghostly presences; and (4) how tensions between artificial and live actors create hybrid works where text, stage design, and music are equally important. Both metamorphic and oxymoronic, puppetry mirrors Shakespearean writing.