The audience for Puppet City are a varied bunch, from the very young to the very old.I sat myself between a family with lots of children and a man who looked like he worked in a bank and waited for the magic to start, and magical it was from the beginning, when large fans are slowly unfolded to reveal the painted scenery to gasps of amazement from all the children.

The plot of the show is very simple; the residents of Puppet City are having a talent contest which we, the audience, are to watch. Each entry to the competition performs a piece that has it’s roots in Korean culture including the Floral Crown Dance and Salmulnory( traditional Korean drumming).

The puppets are lovely to look at, operated in a number of ways, sometimes by more than one puppeteer. The puppeteers themselves are visible at all times, dressed in black, the children didn’t seem to notice, being completely mesmerised by the puppets but the adult members of the audience could really enjoy the puppeteers performance’s especially those who took on their puppet’s character and facial expressions. The highlight of the show are the “special guest puppets” who recreate the incredibly popular show “Cookin’” drumming with knives on chopping boards, little bits of wood flying everywhere.  The small pieces are quite beautiful-elegant dances, complicated drumming routines and song, but there are moments of comedy too, particularly puppets fighting and later dancing to Abba. What makes Puppet City so magical however is the movement, although the puppets have immobile faces their bodies have an incredible range of movement and the puppeteers are all excellent at creating personality through this movement alone, with little delightful moves like hip sways, head tilts and tapping toes. A show for the child in all of us.

Assembly @ GeorgeStreet, Drawing Room, 54 George Street
Previews: 4 – 5 August
Dates: 6 – 28 August
Time: 12:25 (13:25)

Tickets:
£5: Previews 4 –5 August
£11 and (£10): 6– 10, 14 – 17, 21 – 24 August
£12 and (£11):11 –13, 18 – 20, 25 – 28 August