Puppets make a dramatic impression

Puppetry came to Bunbury Senior High School this week in a unique opportunity for the school's drama students.

Fremantle-based Spare Parts Puppet Theatre brought performers to the school for a performance and several workshops on Monday and Tuesday.

About 100 students watched a performance of Blueback, which is based on a Tim Winton book, on Monday afternoon.

It tells the story of a young boy who forms a friendship with a blue groper and is set in a place similar to coastal WA towns.

The students also participated in a workshop during the two-day visit.

"We've been performing the show for the last six weeks on our regional tour of WA," Spare Parts performer St John Cowcher said.

"We also do the workshops with students to teach them about puppetry and puppet making.

"Puppetry is a beautiful performance type and it is seeing a bit of resurgence in contemporary theatre.

"There were a couple of students who seemed to be really getting into the puppet making so there was certainly a lot of enthusiasm."

Drama teacher Anne Whitman said the school had been teaching puppetry as part of a drama course and the Spare Parts regional tour provided opportunities to extend this learning.

It was the first visit by Spare Parts in the three years Miss Whitman had been at the school.

"Students built a puppet out of recycled materials which also links in with sustainability," she said.

"The actors and staff have been amazing as well."

It is a busy time for the school's drama department, which is also preparing for the school production of Into the Woods Jr, which will be held in early August.

"Puppetry is a beautiful performance type and it is seeing a bit of resurgence in contemporary theatre" - St John Cowcher