Richard Bradshaw (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.A Complete Book of Puppet Theatre by David Currell, p. 50 He is a shadow puppeteer who writes for puppets.Performing Arts: A Guide to Practice and Appreciation by Michael Billington, p. 160 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 and were featured in an episode of The Muppet Show.
Bradshaw was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to puppetry and the performing arts.www.itsanhonour.gov.au Order of Australia listing – Richard Bradshaw OAM
References
Further reading Benson, P.D., "Good Show, Super 'Roo", The Australian Women's Weekly, (Wednesday, 25 September 1974), p. 113.
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.
Guss, Naomi, "Australian puppetry – Richard Bradshaw", School of Puppetry, 7 January, 2010.