Puppetry in Performance

This PowerPoint is a practical and engaging 4–5 lesson scheme of work designed for Key Stage 3 Drama students, focusing on puppetry in performance. The resource combines theatre history, practical making skills, performance techniques, and collaborative storytelling to help students explore how puppets can be brought to life on stage.

Lesson 1 introduces students to puppetry in historical and contemporary contexts, including references to modern productions such as War Horse and Life of Pi. Students then learn how to create their own life-sized paper puppets using large rolls of brown paper and simple classroom materials.

The following workshop-style lessons focus on developing practical puppetry and ensemble performance skills. Students explore movement, characterisation, physical theatre, and techniques for performing alongside and operating puppets effectively on stage. As the scheme progresses, pupils collaborate to devise original narratives and performances using the puppets they have created.

The resource includes structured workshop activities, performance tasks, discussion prompts, questioning suggestions, and reflection opportunities to support both practical exploration and performance evaluation. Designed to encourage creativity, teamwork, communication, and confidence, the scheme is suitable for a range of Key Stage 3 learners and can be adapted to fit different class sizes and lesson lengths.