Delicate 76-year-old puppet in rare public display

The puppet of George Bernard Shaw was made in 1946

A fragile 76-year-old puppet of the playwright George Bernard Shaw is to go on show at his former home.

Made in 1949 by Waldo Lanchester, it is usually kept in a special box to preserve it at Shaw's Corner in Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire.

It was made for a marionette show written by Shaw called Shakes versus Shav, where the Irish playwright has an argument with William Shakespeare over who is the better writer.

A 2024 film adaptation used a replica puppet, made by 3D-scanning the original, and they will be displayed together at Shaw's Corner on Monday.

Bernard Shaw thought of Shakespeare as his rival

It is to coincide with a screening of the 10-minute short film, featuring the voices of actors Derek Jacobi and Colm Meaney.

The original puppet has a carved wooden head and is supported by 11 strings.

It was donated to the National Trust, which runs Shaw's Corner, in 1976, but is rarely put on show because it is so delicate.

It is kept in a box to prevent degradation.

The room it is kept in is closely monitored to ensure there are no temperature changes or damp that could accelerate its degrading.

The puppet was donated to the National Trust in 1976

Rebecca Whitmore, house manager at Shaw's Corner, said: "Obviously, we'll never be able to pause time permanently.

"It's all about slowing down the natural processes.

"It's quite hard to display as well because it's a puppet and its strings are quite delicate.

"It therefore feels very special to bring it out of storage, if only for one day."

Bernard Shaw, who died in 1950 aged 94, was a playwright, critic and political activist.

He is best known for his play Pygmalion, the inspiration behind My Fair Lady.