Thinking about Show Structure and Aesthetics

I am currently thinking that I would like elements of the puppet show to reflect the process of lacemaking itself. I have decided (so far) that I want to use marionettes (or rod marionettes) because the strings reflect the threads that are used to make lace. I would like these small puppets to be carved from wood and stained so that they reflect the eclectic wooden bobbins that are used in lacemaking. I wanted to use white lace thread for the strings but further experiments are needed, as the white threads might be too visible and distracting. Here are some images to show my thought process about the structure of the show.

I originally thought the show could be a suitcase show, as a the inner suitcase lid could provide a background for marionettes, and the glove puppets could pop up behind the lid. I’ve since moved on slightly from this idea as I think I want the show to be less “self-contained” than this.

I’ve been thinking of the characters and puppets as being like the bobbins used to make lace – the characters weave the threads into motifs that make up the various stories about lacemaking. Myself and Ulysses Black (the writer) have also been thinking of the way the bobbins cross over each other to make a stitch, and how this could be incorporated into the show somehow – for example, the way in which the characters could interact with one another could be influenced by the way in which two bobbins “cross” or “twist” to make part of a stitch.

Originally I thought the show could be a one-woman show, but I have decided against this at this stage, because that would be very limiting, plus we thought a two person show might make more sense – the bobbins used for making lace come in pairs – one at each end of one length of thread. Therefore the two performers/puppeteers will together weave the story as a pair.