Photo credit: Steve Tanner
I’ve liked puppets since I was a child, though then it was more finger or hand puppets; I loved Sooty and had my own Edd the Duck. But it wasn’t until I started frequenting theatres that I rediscovered my love for puppets as an adult – particularly in 2016.
So I’ll be using this page to document any puppet theatre experiences I have from now on! (And it will hopefully look a lot nicer after a while. Keep an eye on #Puppets2017 for now.)
Shows
The Red Balloon, Puppet Theatre Barge
Frankenstein, Greenwich Theatre
Running Wild, Hackney Empire
946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, St Ann’s Warehouse
Avenue Q, New World Stages
Alice’s Adventures Underground, The Vaults
Life of Galileo, Young Vic
Common, National Theatre
Tristan & Yseult, Shakespeare’s Globe
Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales, Leicester Square Theatre
Venus and Adonis, Swan Theatre (RSC Stratford-upon-Avon)
Otelo, Southwark Playhouse
Book Story, Little Angel Theatre Studios
The Lorax, Old Vic
Stick Man, Leicester Square Theatre
The Tin Drum, Bristol Old Vic & Shoreditch Town Hall
The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales, Bristol Old Vic
Once Upon A Snowflake, Chelsea Theatre
The Box of Delights, Wilton’s Music Hall
Pinocchio, National Theatre
A Christmas Carol (Dominic Gerrard), Charles Dickens Museum
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Ambassadors Theatre
The Grinning Man, Trafalgar Studios
Blog posts
Little Angel Theatre: London’s Hidden Gem
Tucked away in between two of Islington’s busiest thoroughfares, Little Angel Theatre was established by John Wright in 1961 from the wreckage of an old temperance hall. It first came to my attention at the end of last year when I heard of a show Kneehigh were putting on there in conjunction with the theatre (A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings) and I headed up to see it. Thanks to this booking I was added to their mailing list, and subsequently heard of an event they occasionally run called ‘London’s Hidden Gem’ – an evening where the theatre is opened up to paying visitors to explore backstage and the workshop, to see where all the magic happens! Read more…
Clementine’s Christmas Special: preview
Clementine the Living Fashion Doll is set to make her West End debut this Christmas, as her seasonal special heads to Live at Zédel for a short run this December. Clementine is the alter ego of top puppeteer, Mark Mander; he trained at the Norwich Puppet Theatre, performing there and at Islington’s Little Angel Theatre, as well as working on TV and film (including Rainbow and Muppets Most Wanted). Read more…
Puppets 2017: a summary
After choosing in 2016 to focus on Shakespeare (in the 400th anniversary of his death), I went completely different this year and made it my mission to learn more about, and see more shows featuring, puppets. I have a longstanding love of puppets, grown mainly from Edd the Duck and the Muppets – and there has definitely been something of a resurgence, particularly (as it happens) this year. I had a bit of a slow start, but in the end I pretty much managed to see at least one puppet-based show a month. My grand total (excluding repeat visits) actually comes to 23! Read more…
Avenue Q: 2019 UK tour announced
This morning Selladoor Worldwide has announced the return of anarchic puppet show Avenue Q, set to tour the UK again in 2019. The very politically incorrect comedy musical was last seen on tour in 2016 (following a five-year West End run and two other tours in 2014 & 2015), though it has been an Off Broadway staple in New York for some time (I was fortunate enough to see it at the New World Stages almost exactly a year ago!) – and has been performed in over ten countries worldwide. It also won three Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Score & Best Book) following its Broadway debut in 2003. Read more…
Puppetry: How To Do It
Theatre and puppetry director Mervyn Millar’s latest book is a practical insight into the use of puppets in theatre. Millar is incredibly well-equipped to provide this thorough guide, having been part of the creative and performing teams of the National Theatre’s War Horse from the very beginning, as well as extensive puppet design and direction for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Old Vic, Schauspielhaus Zürich and many others. He’s also Chair of the Puppet Centre Trust, and regularly runs teaching sessions and workshops for a range of organisations. Read more…
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