The hardest part (as is always the case) is adapting stories to be performed solo. Punch has lasted over the centuries precisely because it is an ideal format for a solo puppeteer - but one major character being visited by a succession of single characters is not the easiest pattern to adopt for many fairy tales. How we long for that third hand! But everything is possible if you can think out of the box.
However that isn't what I wanted to tell you. I've discovered a useful bit of workshop technique which may be useful.
Goats need horns, and as I was intending to use stuffed heads for speed I couldn't use carved or modelled horns since they would have been difficult to attach. I decided to use tubes of cloth stuffed with cotton wool. I've had in the workshop for a couple of years a bottle of "Stiffy - Fabric Stiffener", bought at a Craft shop because "it might prove useful one day", and decided to experiment. I have previously used varnish to stiffen felt, but had never tried this stuff which you can brush on, spray on, use as a dip, and once the material is soaked you can squeeze to shape, or you could drape the sodden cloth over a form.
When dry I expected it to be like a stiff starch, but actually I found that both cloth and cotton wool stuffing went quite hard. I am sure this is going to have some uses. Those of you old enough to remember Celastic might have an idea how it can be used. Think Celastic, without the mess or the smell. This is water based, very little odour, and easy to clean up. It takes a day to dry - but I found popping small parts in a slow oven could harden in a hour or so.
I'm not quite sure how you might use this, but I know some of you like to experiment.
