While in Prague at PQ I had the opportunity to see a great deal of puppet theatre, from the very traditional to the very bizarre. I was particularly inspired by the show Sapphire Head by Handa Gote. This combined a fantastic mix of real puppets, objects and children's toys to create an abstract narrative and quirky style.They utilised everything from a singing Santa, to a metronome, a vintage puppet to a electronic dog toy. In particular they sought things with the potential for movement and character.
I bagan to seek out my own inspiration looking for toys or mechanisms which could create a puppet.
I came across a street vendor selling spider puppets operated using a small air pump which made the fluffy spider jump around. At around £2 I snapped one up, convinced it could be utilised later.
With very minimum alteration this puppet became
The Petit Arachnia, nicknamed The Spider Dog. A portable and highly economical dog for the discreet dog owner.
