Theatre Maker and Designer
SUSIE BEARE
Puppetry
I have been interested in puppetry from a young age and have tried to implement it in my work as much as I can. I started making my first puppets out of recycled materials in sixth form where I made an octopus and jellyfish puppet. In my final year of university I produced the show Hymns of the Earth where I showcased the skills I had learnt over my 3 year degree and made a puppet, set and managed performers. This re-sparked my passion for puppetry and immersive art and since then I have worked with many like-minded people in this field and created my own projects to challenge my practice alongside.
Hymns of the earth
Puppet and set Designer and Maker, Director
The Black Box, Oldfield Park Theatre Workshops, Bath
May 2022
Director, Set Designer, Puppet Designer: Susie Beare
Lighting Designer: Ana Snook
Sound Designer: Charlie Wilsher
Photos: Yamuna Shukla
Puppeteers: Lily Jack, Josh Purdie and Rozie Jackson
This show was adapted by me from the first few pages of the book 'Lanny' by Max Porter into a short theatrical performance called 'Hymns of the Earth' with action devised by my three puppeteers and I. This section introduced the character of Dead Papa Toothwort and his strange ways!
Bath Carnival
Supporting Artist
While working with Bath Carnival I have maintained their existing puppets and costumes and created new accessories and puppets for them. I have also worked within their events working with the performers and been a venue manager at their festival 'Twert Lush'.
I have lead puppetry and lantern making workshops with school children, community groups and the general public and brought the art form to a wider audience.
Noa The Explorer
Puppet Designer and Maker
I made Noa as part of a foundation course in Wood Carving puppets with Bernd Ogrodnik. She is made of hand carved wood, textiles and leather.
The Book Thief
Assistant Puppet Maker
Working under Hannah Southfield, I helped make elements of some of the puppets for The Book Thief along with a team of other makers. These puppets were designed by Sam Wilde and were stylised Human puppets used to tell stories within the show.
little boy puppet
Puppet Designer and Maker
I started to develop this character in 2023 as part of a script I am writing. I am working on a prototype puppet to be used by performers in a Research and development process which will inform the next phase of the build. The little boy is a shy but extremely intelligent boy and in an attempt to escape the noise of the world he finds himself on a remarkable adventure with a lonely old man with a heartbreaking story.
Oswald the Octopus
Puppet Designer and Maker
I created this puppet back in 2018 and took inspiration from the character of the octopus in the children's book 'The Rainbow Fish'
This puppet is made of a wire frame attached to a second hand bike helmet so they performer can wear the puppet on their head. The wire structure means that it is light enough not tho cause strain of the performers body. It is then covered with a patchwork of recycled fabrics, painted textures and woven panels. I wanted the children who meet Oswald to be able to touch and feel him so they could connect to his character more.
The Jellyfish
Puppet Designer and Maker
The Jellyfish was also inspired by the children's book 'The Rainbow fish' and is made from a wire frame and various recycled materials. I wanted to prove that you could make something beautiful with other people's rubbish and encourage less waste in the entertainment industry.
The body of the jellyfish is made from plastic bags with free embroidery over the top to create texture and to play with light and shadow. Inside the body there are metal bottle tops to mimic a wind chime so the puppet makes music as it moves around the stage.
I made small versions of these puppets with my local brownie group as part of their badge on saving ocean life. All materials used were recycled and the girls enjoyed dancing around the space with their new friends!
