Stringing the monkey

I want to get Monkey Number One on its strings today, to see how it works as a marionette and whether I need to make any alterations before I paint it.  It's an exciting moment when the puppet comes to life for the first time and you begin to find out how it moves and see its character emerging.
Here is Monkey Number One admiring herself in the mirror for the first time.  There is still work to be done (painting, adding ears, soldering the joints and so on) but it is encouraging to discover that all the work so far has been along the right lines and that the puppet does look and move like a monkey.  I'm going to take her to a Baba Shakespeare rehearsal tomorrow to meet the cast and to walk through Act One Scene Three for the first time with Emma, who will be operating her, and Asif, our newly found Monkey Wallah.