Where to buy puppet sets/stages in Australia
Please note: this post only applies to finding puppetry sets in Australia. If you are from another country, I would suggest visiting The Puppetry Homepage, UNIMA USA, or UNIMA UK.
(This post deals specifically with stages, stands and sets for puppetry. AKA Hand puppet theatre to buy. If you are looking for info on where to buy puppets then try here.)
Before getting into the good stuff, if you don’t know what kind of staging or set you need for your puppetry performance, workshop or event, then you probably want to read the article on set design for puppetry. If you know exactly what you need, continue:
First option, head to puppet and toy shops
This is actually a really crappy suggestion. As always on this site, I discuss puppetry in the professional sense - for performance - and generally not working with children or for play. In that context, the first option is a crap one. Why? Because puppet and toy shops (and here I will add that I know of only two puppet-only brick-and-mortar shops in Australia, so usually they are both puppets and toys in the same place) usually only stock children’s toy stages.
What this means is that you can usually find small finger puppet ’stages’ (wooden ‘windows’ basically, with curtains attached) or tent-like booths, which really only fit a few young children into it - or one large one I suppose 
These styles of stages are really only for children’s play, and a generally called ‘toy theatres‘ (I’ve crossed out the phrase, if only because the term toy shops use can be confused with the genre of puppetry by the same name. They’re not the same things, really, although obviously the genre of toy theatre can also be something found in your local puppet shop)
So really, for us professional theatre people, these places are pretty useless. Even if you’re a parent or teacher, and want to use a different style of staging (like a shadow puppet screen for instance), you won’t find anything useful; and if you’re say, a dentist who wants to put on a show about good hygiene, you’re hardly going to fit into a small children’s tent/booth. … Anyway, if you do want to check out what your local store has to offer, then head here and find some places local to you.
Second option, order from overseas
There are however, online shops that offer a range of flexible stages for the professional, and especially for the touring professional. I will add that I have seen various eBay offerings from Australian sellers: but again, limited to these children’s playthings. Many of the larger online overseas sellers (particularly puppet ministry sites actually) offer a range of booths and/or curtains, that are made using aluminium piping, can be stored and transported easily, and can be set up with a minimum of fuss. Some of them are even able to be set up in a range of different positions, offering more flexibility for the style and requirements of your show. A great example are some of the ones at One Way Street.
However, this in itself is only useful if you have lots of money: stages can cost upwards of $300 US, not including shipping. It’s a bit pricey, and frankly the best option, given below, will cost you much less than what you would spend shipping from overseas.
Best option
But for us professionals, the best bet is to make your own stages and set designs. Why? Because no two shows are alike, no two venues are alike… and no two puppets are alike! There are plenty of reasons why you’ll need to make your own sets, from travel and transport issues, to storage and maintenance, from size of venue to script and performance needs. This is why you won’t find set designers or set makers with online shops too, since most everything will need to be custom made to suit the show and the producers. If you’re really not comfortable or knowledgeable about building, that’s ok: you don’t need to be a carpenter. There are plenty of free tutorials online, as well as lots of great tips and hints on various puppet building websites. If you do a search on Puppets and Stuff, you can find plenty of threads about staging, including discussions on booths, screens, and other typical sets. [Link to be added to free staging patterns; one given below]
If you’re doing something involving shadow puppets, then you’ll probably want to read this tutorial on making your own screen. Additionally, there’s this great blog exposition by American company, Swazzle, on trial and error of tourable staging for muppet-type puppets. You can read about three different sets that they used, and the pros and cons of each. UPDATE: Check out the list of free set designs for puppetry here.
Most puppet groups seem to be using PVC piping (link goes to free instructions) since it’s lightweight, easy to construct, easy to store and easy to transport. I’ve never tried this myself, but can recommend to Aussies using ‘Qbloc’, a square aluminium tubing. Cut to size, with an MDF ‘lid’ and put together with plastic joints, Qbloc is incredibly lightweight (one person can carry a 1m high X 1m long X 50cm deep bench, no problems), pulls apart in minutes, and at a pinch I can fit two of these benches in the boot of a small 4 wheel drive; more if I actually take it apart! UPDATE: Mike in the comments below asks where one can find Qbloc - this is the term we used whilst at uni, and I have no idea if the actual name is Qbloc. However, any Aussie can find this aluminium tubing at their local Bunnings store, in the timber/aluminium area. Lengths of this square tubing come in both black and plain metal, and can cost anywhere between $5 and 12 depending on size.
While I’m here, I don’t recommend using any cardboard in sets! You can read more about set design for puppetry, where I discuss this in more detail; but basically, it’s too flimsy to stand up to regular use. It’s fine for an inside activity with kids, but you’ll find even after one use from them and the cardboard will be mangled.
Additionally, any decent bookstore (
Well, any Borders. Check here for more about buying books) in Australia should have at least one or two books on set design. I have a great one: Illustrated Theatre Production Guide by John Holloway. Although aimed at American audiences (and therefore not using metric) it has lots of fantastically useful information about rigging, props and set buildings, and even some instructions on how to build common things, like stairs and flats. And as always, any books by David Currell will have some basic set design for puppetry concepts.
And if you’re really not confident at all, even with all of that, there are plenty of puppeteers and set designers around (many do both) who can help you create something for your needs. (Whilst some people may think of heading to their local carpenters, I don’t recommend it. Carpenters are great if you already know what you need and just want someone to build it for you, but many if not most will have no practical sense when it comes to set design. How many furniture builders account for getting sofas round very tight staircases, for example? It’s all well and good to be able to build a puppetry booth, but if you can’t get your puppets inside your puppet booth, or you get inside it and find you don’t have legroom and get cramps after one hour of sitting there… etc. There are any number of issues that carpenters just won’t think of, whilst a puppeteer and/or set designer will) … Anyway, finding set designers and builders are fairly easy. Many of them will have websites and/or listings in the Yellow Pages. A number of larger puppetry companies also build sets custom made. Puppeteers and puppet makers also may work in set design, or at least be able to advise on any stages or items that you’d like to make/have made. If you’re new to puppetry, it is worthwhile getting advice, as many puppeteers will have experience and have tips that only come from experience. You can find more info about finding puppet makers here (I’ll also add the link to puppetry companies, since all of them will also have contacts to set designers and builders). As always, contact UNIMA Australia for help on finding someone local to you.
…This post AKA puppet theaters for sale
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