This morning, our Year 7 & 8 students who will be attending this month's theatre trip to see 'The BFG' at Chichester Festival Theatre took part in an exciting hands-on puppetry workshop to prepare for the show.

Working in groups, students constructed a puppet frame using only brown parcel paper and tape. By carefully folding the “bone structure,” they were able to create joints that allowed their puppets to move and articulate.

They then explored the three key principles of puppetry:

• Breath – adding subtle movements to bring the puppet to life.
• Weight – giving the puppet structure and presence.
• Focus – always keeping attention on the puppet and its movement.

Once their puppets were complete, the students brought them to the stage to perform a scene from 'The BFG'. In each group, three students worked together to puppeteer a character representing Sophie, while one student played the role of the BFG and another provided the puppet’s voice.

All of the students who took part had a brilliant experience, and the workshop has certainly built even more excitement for seeing the play next week!

A huge thank you to Sian Rodd from the Chichester Festival Theatre for hosting such an inspiring event.