Interview: A wooden boy brought to life at the Wooden O

Aya Nakamura talks puppetry in the Globe’s Christmas classic, Pinocchio

This winter Shakespeare’s Globe presents the classic fairy tale Pinocchio based on Carlo Collodi’s delightful story of a wooden puppet who wants to be a real boy. They’ve announced an amazing cast and creative company, and we at ET were particularly excited to see Aya Nakamura in the team of world class puppeteers, having recently covered some of her work in fringe theatre creating ‘live Manga’. Don’t you love it when top artists share their skills in local libraries one week and probably the most famous theatre in the world the next? To find out how it’s coming along we pulled a few strings and asked Aya for a chat.

Hi there Aya. So great to talk to you again, especially with this exciting production of Pinocchio coming up. OMG! the cast for this show is fantastic. Can you tell us about some of the performers you will be working alongside?

Hello Mary, firstly, thank you for your continued support and for championing the puppetry community. Yes, the cast really is fantastic! They each individually and collectively bring such skill, talent and sense of play that I’m left amazed every day. I am a puppeteer who mainly works in the fringe theatre world, so I was not familiar with many of them beforehand. But once we were in the rehearsal room together, I could instantly see why they are regarded so highly. Everyone is so unassuming, and then you look them up afterwards and think, “Wait… you did that?! Why didn’t you mention it?”

Just as an example, Sean [Holmes] is our director and one of his shows actually inspired me to create my own ghost show called Kwaidan many years ago. I could talk for hours about each person’s talent – honestly we would be here all day. But what really stands out to me is that everyone shares a deep respect for puppetry and genuinely believes in the power of puppets. That’s something you cannot always count on, even with the most skilled theatre-makers. I feel very lucky. The whole creative team are incredible.

That brings us directly to your own team. How has it been working with the legend that is Peter O’Rourke, Puppetry Director on the show?

It’s been a joy and an invaluable opportunity for me to grow as a puppeteer. He is a true artist. I love how he paints the stage space using puppets and objects, movement and shapes — his vision is expansive, yet he also has an incredibly sharp eye for detail. And beyond his direction, his puppet designs are exquisite. His puppets are genuinely delightful to handle. Working with his creations feels like such a treat.

You also have Stan Middleton and Andrea Sadler in the crew – both world class puppeteers. Have you worked with either of them before?

Stan and Andrea are wonderful puppeteers and it is a joy to share puppets with them. They are highly experienced, and we share a common puppetry language, so we were able to connect quickly.

I previously worked with Andrea on Peter’s project Quilt, and we also spent time together during a puppet festival in Iceland, so we already had a good rapport.

As for Stan, I’ve known of him for a long time — he comes from something of a “puppetry dynasty” with the Puppet Barge, which he now runs himself. We had met before, but this is the first time we’re working together. He is lovely to collaborate with, and his marionette manipulation is truly impressive. There is one scene in particular where you will really see this — keep an eye out!

Can you tell us about the types of puppets you are using for this production and their design features?

Mainly we use life-sized, three-person-operated table-top puppets though we don’t use a table or playboard. Some people might describe it as ‘Bunraku-style’, a phrase which I personally take issue with in its strict use, but that is a discussion for another time. Our Pinocchio changes as the story progresses so we move between different design versions of him. He is so beautiful and sweet — if you are familiar with Peter’s puppets, you will recognise his touch immediately. We also have small rod puppets and large puppets that fill the stage. It will be spectacular!

What’s it like for a puppeteer working in that unique outdoor space at the Globe, so close and exposed to the audience?

It will be an interesting challenge, I think. Puppets are not very easy in the round and the Globe stage being a thrust brings similar issues to consider. Especially sightlines. Peter is constantly reminding us to open the puppets out and share them to all sides. Human actors can adjust their movement quite freely but with puppets, especially with a three-person operated puppet, we cannot change direction suddenly. So we need to anticipate and think about all the angles much earlier, even before we get into the Globe itself.

Other than the thrust, we have not faced the other elements yet — being exposed to the weather, being cold, and being in such a unique performance space — so we shall find out soon!
Andrea and I went to see a show there and I think the audience in the Yard (the standing area) will have such an intimate and close experience. And we will work to give them something truly vivid and alive to connect with.

And Pinocchio is also a musical – how do the puppets feel about that? Can we expect some singing and dancing?

I am sure all the Pinocchio puppets are excited to be in a musical, singing and dancing on an iconic stage such as the Globe!

This show has plenty of songs that are incredibly catchy and wonderful, and the dancing is equally brilliant — and it’s all performed by such talented artists. The characters you will meet in this show are just… so good. I am very excited for the audience to meet them.

This is quite a rare occasion, especially at the Globe, to see an entire stage animated with puppets and objects. I believe this show will be a delightful and extraordinary experience for all audiences young and old. Pinocchio will be the perfect treat for the festive season.

Thanks so much to Aya for telling us about this exciting production. Pinocchio is suitable for ages 5+ and runs at Shakespeare’s Globe from Saturday 29 November to Sunday 4 January.