Feathers comes together

We’re in the countdown to rehearsals for Terrapin’s next touring show, Feathers. In the role of puppet designer, mentor and lead maker, I’ve been working with Danny Miller and Mads Hillam for almost a year to build seven characters, all technically challenging in their own way. The emphasis, as always, has been on using materials that come from salvaged or low impact sources, and expanding the vocabulary of techniques for working with them. We’ve been searching for unique textures that can be found as a waste stream and that resonate with each character.

With the jittery energy of milkshake dresses in mind, I chose to apply each strand of fur by hand to this full body ferret suit. That meant cutting discarded t-shirts and edging waste from t-shirt factories into strips and lengths, then dyeing them in batches, and tatting them onto disused orchard net. 17,000 strands later, I’m pleased with the effect.

For Owl, the Ferret’s enormous foe, we chose deconstructed tents. They’re a plentiful waste stream, often discarded when a pole goes missing or a zip breaks, and the fabric has great qualities of lightness, sheen and body. We interspersed this with old sheer curtains for visibility and softness. The hot knife was our friend.

Feathers hits the road in July, playing to schools around the state before going into theatres. Seeing how kids react when Ferret starts dancing will make all those hours of knotting worthwhile.