Ancient Giants
A large-scale puppetry act by Inspirate
2021 – 2025, Touring
Ancient Giants is an outdoor, puppetry performance featuring dance and martial arts. It is comprised of a dancer, and two large-scale puppets, each operated by 3 puppeteers. These two puppets depict Hanuman and Ravana as they go head-to-head in a dramatic interpretation of a pivotal moment in the Ramayana epic.
Operating the weapon-yielding arm of Ravana, the 10-headed king of Demons, was a great exploration of evil and ferocity through puppetry for me. I’ve also puppeteered Hanuman’s right arm in an earlier iteration of Ancient Giants, enjoying a totally different vibe; one of playful curiosity!
My role
Puppeteer:
- R&D: explore and create, as an individual and with an ensemble. Discover possibilities and limitations with these puppets, finding their physical vocabulary.
- Rehearse: work generously, collaborating and learning choreography.
- Perform: engage audiences with playful menace. Walkabout and processional type performance first, culminating in a choreographed performance.
