On Tuesday, 13 January a group of Gordon’s students took part in a trip to London to the Gillian Lynne Theatre where they saw the show, My Neighbour Totoro. Then on the following Thursday, they participated in a puppetry workshop where we learned about how puppeteers control the puppets to make them look and feel as lifelike as possible. The students also made their own puppets to practice the skills that they have learned. The year 9 students were invited if they were thinking about taking GCSE Art or Drama to enhance their subject knowledge.

The show was very enjoyable. The cast made amazing use of the rotating stage at the theatre to change the set and show the movement of the characters; further enhancing the immersion and enjoyment of the show.

One highlight of the show for many students and staff was the use of puppeteering to create the giant creature of Totoro. The creature was enormous and was controlled by a group of people underneath moving Totoro’s head, arms and legs. In the show two girls move from Tokyo to the Japanese countryside where their mother is ill in hospital and they meet spirits in the woods, including Totoro, who consoles them and helps them cope with life’s challenges.

This show was incredibly interesting – what stood out to me most was the level of skill that the actors and puppeteers have to be able to control and interact with these puppets and the amount of work that these people have put into making an amazing show. Whilst participating in the workshop I understood the complexity of working a puppet and the way that the puppeteers are able to flawlessly mimic a real human/creature and give such a realistic performance.

Overall, the trip was a great experience for students and teachers alike and the puppetry workshop really helped the students understand the way the actors were able to put on such a good performance.

• Alexander, Y9