Life & Times of Michael K

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The Walk (Little Amal)

Toronto, Canada

Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse

Hong Kong Cultural Center

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World leaders in the art of puppetry, the Handspring Puppet Company redefines what is possible in contemporary theatre. Since its inception in South Africa in the 1980s, the company has presented acclaimed performances in 30 countries.

Life & Times of Michael K

The Walk (Little Amal)

Monteverdi's Ritorno d'Ulisse

Honorary Doctorates

August 2023
Edinburgh

An adaptation of the Nobel Prize-winning author JM Coetzee’s novel, the Life and Times of Michael K combines performance, cinematic imagery and music. It follows the journey of Michael K through a war-torn South Africa in a quest to return his elderly mother.

7th - 11th June
Toronto, Canada

Amal is a twelve-foot puppet of a ten-year-old refugee girl from Syria. Her previous 5 000-mile journey across Europe evokes the journeys of many refugee children, and she has become a global symbol of human rights.

10th - 12th March
Hong Kong Cultural Center

This production of Monteverdi’s opera Il Ritorno d’Ulisse is a collaboration between William Kentridge, the Ricercar Consort and Handspring Puppet Company—an ancient tale retold with puppetry, animation and live music.

July 8th, 2023

Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones are presented with honorary Doctorates from the University of Toronto for their work in the field of adult puppeteering since 1985

Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones receiving their honorary Doctorates at the University of Toronto

See more

Picture captured during the production 'Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse (The Return of Ulysses)'

Picture captured during the production 'Warhorse'

Picture captured during the production 'Woyzeck on the Highveld'

Picture of one of the puppets used in 'The Chimp project'

Puppet from 'Ubu and the Truth Commission'

Picture captured during the production 'Starbrites'

Picture captured during the production 'Tall horse'

Picture captured during the production 'Faustus in Africa'

Picture captured during the production 'Midsummer nights dream'

Puppets from 'Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse (The Return of Ulysses)'

Puppet from 'Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse (The Return of Ulysses)'

Our book

Handspring Puppet Company is the first book on Handspring to be published in South Africa. It explores their work in puppet theatre, from Episodes of an Easter Rising to War Horse, providing insights into their philosophy of puppetry and their technical innovations. It is richly illustrated with images from the Handspring archive and includes essays by theatre practitioners and writers who have collaborated with the company over the years.

Read the book here