Dr Sue Buckmaster
Dramaturg - 'Meet the Hatter'
Dr Sue Buckmaster is the Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites, a puppetry expert and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family.
In 1996 Sue co-directed the company’s first production Houseworks with founder Penny Bernand. Houseworks was the UK’s first site-specific production created for the under 5’s and was considered by the Guardian’s Lyn Gardner as one of her desert island theatrical experiences. Since 1996 Sue has created 12 site-specific productions and 15 theatre productions for Theatre-Rites. Most recently she directed “Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time” for the Burgtheater Vienna in 2021 and in 2023 she will adapt this production for UK audiences.
Sue has an MA in Contemporary Theatre Practice from Essex University, which included a thesis on the Psychoanalytical Study of the Power of the Puppet. In 2018 the University of Essex awarded her an honorary doctorate in recognition of her inspiring leadership in theatre direction and puppetry
Sue has many years of experience as a director, puppetry specialist, dramaturg and teacher. She has worked with a wide variety of companies outside of Theatre-Rites including as Puppetry Director on “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” (dir Simon McBurney, National Theatre), “Pinocchio” (dir Marcello Magni Lyric Hammersmith) and “Peter Pan” (dir Ben Harrison, Three Sixty Entertainment).
As part of Theatre-Rites’ Consultancy programme Sue has directed “Chotto Desh” and “Chotto Xenos” for the Akram Khan Company and provided dramaturgy to a number of artists including Joss Arnott Dance, Denada Dance, Sonia Sarbi, Laura Vanhulle and Anders Duckworth.
Sue’s work regularly involves cross-artform collaborations. With Theatre-Rites she has worked with actors, dancers, puppeteers, sculptors, animators, choreographers, Iranian daf drummers, world jazz percussionists, composers, djs, beatboxers and magicians – to name but a few.
Sue is an Advisor to Sadler’s Wells, Polka Theatre and Schauspielhaus Bochum, Germany.
Photo credit: Theatre-Rites
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