The Book of Dust

Realised large black box theatre production

By Philip Pullman & Bryony Lavery
Directed by Zoe Templeman-Young
My role: Puppet designer and maker
Co-puppet designer and maker: Alexandra Kay
Puppet makers: Lily Gardner, Marcha Goodchild, Genevieve Norridge, Robyn Smart, Nico Venables, Milly Williams, Xi Ding, Abi Stushnoff
Set and costume designer: Amy Lewis
Location: The Bute Theatre RWCMD

"Two young people and their dæmons, with everything at stake, find themselves at the centre of a terrifying manhunt. In their care is a tiny child called Lyra Belacqua, and in that child lies the fate of the future." (The Bridge Theatre).

Within this world of magic, each character has a dæmon which is an external physical manifestation of their inner self. These dæmons, in childhood, take the form of many different animals and then settle as one through adolescence. All characters must have a dæmon and are tied together - everything that happens to their dæmon happens to them and vice versa. Within this production, the dæmons were represented by puppets, either controlled by the characters themselves or an external puppeteer. Reflecting the realistic but painterly set, these puppets were semi-realistic and used natural material finishes to blend seamlessly into the world of the play.

Research and Inspiration

Maquetting R&D Workshops

Drawings - Aesthetics and Functions

Mechanisms

Making

Final Photos