Richard Bradshaw OAM (born 1938) is a leading Australian puppeteer.
Life
In June 1949 the Sydney Herald announced weekly shows for children at the Children's Theatre at Burnie Park, Clovelly directed by Edith Constance Murray. Leading Australian puppeteers Bradshaw, Norman Hetherington and John Lewis of Jeral Puppets were among those who demonstrated their skills at the theatre.
Bradshaw was Artistic Director of the Marionette Theatre of Australia. He is a shadow puppeteer who writes for puppets. In 2005, he was commissioned by Terrapin Puppet Theatre to write The Storyteller's Shadow: a Celebration of Hans Christian Andersen which toured around Tasmania, to Denmark and to Singapore and Malaysia. Jim Henson, a fellow puppeteer, featured the work of Bradshaw as part of his six-part television series on puppetry. His shadow puppets were used for animations and stories on ABC's Play School.
Bradshaw was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to puppetry and the performing arts.
References
- "Young People's Theatre Opens". Sunday Herald. 19 June 1949. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- Bradshaw, Richard, "Edith Constance Murray (1897–1988)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2 January 2024
- A Complete Book of Puppet Theatre by David Currell, p.50
- Performing Arts: A Guide to Practice and Appreciation by Michael Billington, p.160
- "Living in the shadow of a puppet regime - ABC (None) - Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- "- YouTube". YouTube.
- "Puppets' shadows in a different light for kids". 24 March 2013.
- www.itsanhonour.gov.au Order of Australia listing – Richard Bradshaw OAM
Further reading
- Benson, P.D., "Good Show, Super 'Roo", The Australian Women's Weekly, (Wednesday, 25 September 1974), p.113.
- Billington, Michael (1988). Performing Arts: A Guide To Practice And Appreciation. London: New Burlington Books. ISBN 1-85348-115-7.
- Bradshaw, R.,"Norman Hetherington 1921 – 2010 (Eulogy)", O.P.E.N., No.11, (December 2010), pp.2–4.
- Camens, J. "The Mysterious Potamus", The Australian Women's Weekly, (Wednesday, 17 January 1979), p.17.
- Carr, V., "The Actor in the Wings", The Australian Women's Weekly, (Wednesday, 26 February 1969), p.7.
- Currell, David (1985). A Complete Book of Puppet Theatre. London: A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-7136-2429-9.
- Guss, Naomi, "Australian puppetry – Richard Bradshaw", School of Puppetry, 7 January, 2010.
- Vella, Maeve; Rickards, Helen (1989). Theatre of the Impossible: Puppet Theatre in Australia. Roseville, N.S.W: Craftsman's House. ISBN 0-947131-21-3.