at the puppet barge

as i turn toward the richmond riverside on my morning run, i notice the red and yellow stripes of what i assume is a carnival tent sitting not far from the bridge. when i get closer i see the words "puppet theatre" painted on the side of a barge that is actually docked at the river. my interest is piqued.


i learn that the puppet barge is a special london attraction. it moves up and down the river thames, docking for 2-3 months at a time and holding shows for children aged 3-12. in the late summer, it docks in richmond.



i purchase three tickets to "the tale of babuschka baboon." we attend on the windiest day of the year, which gives joe and i an uneasy feeling. trapped on a boat in the wind- it's one of those situations that's bound to end badly, as we both experience severe motion sickness. but after a few initial dips and rocks, the captain tightens the hold on the dock, and the show goes on. it is a message-heavy script - ivory-hunting in the congo- but the production is fanstastic. interesting shadow play, multi-jointed monkey puppets that make a happy clackety sound when in motion. a very different kind of puppet show than we experience in the netherlands...