Reviews

After Chekov Review

2020-03-02 Addya Panayiotou

Our reviewer Addya went to see After Chekov during Manipulate at Norwich Puppet Theatre.

Great Grimm Tales Review

2020-02-19 Addya Panayiotou

Our reviewer Addya Panayiotou went to see Great Grimm Tales by Box Tale Soup during manipulate visual theatre festival at Norwich.

Wunderkammer Review

2019-05-26 Addya Panayiotou

Our reviewer Addya Panayiotou went to see 'Wunderkammer' by Figurentheatre Tuebingen during the Manipulate Visual Theatre Festival at Norwich Puppet Theatre.

Review - The Water Babies

2019-01-06 Addya Panayiotou

Our reviewer Addya Panayiotou went to see The Water Babies by String Theatre, a marionette production inspired by Charles Kingsley's novel, at Norwich Puppet Theatre.

Review - The Wider Earth

2018-10-20 Penny Francis

Penny Francis went to review "The Wider Earth" at the Natural History Museum, running until 30t December 2018.

The Four Seasons

2018-03-24 Penny Francis

Penny Francis goes to see The Four Seasons, A Re-imagining at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, London with puppetry by Gyre & Gimble. 

A Heart at Sea - Half a String

2018-03-23 Caroline Partridge

A Heart at Sea charts the story of a young boy who throws his heart out to sea following the death of his sister, and his subsequent quest to retrieve it. The show is an original offering from designer and puppeteer Peter Morton, & musician and writer Avi Simmons, who make up the company Half a String.

Sleeping Beauty

2018-03-22 Caroline Partridge

One of the highlights of the first ever Nottingham Puppet Festival, which took place in March this year, was Cie Akselere's ingenious retelling of 'Sleeping Beauty'.

The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon Theatre Alibi

2018-03-18 Addya Panayiotou

Our reviewer Addya went to see The Boy who Climbed into the Moon at Norwich Playhouse 

Pinocchio at The National Theatre

2018-01-29 Penny Francis

Penny Francis headed to the National Theatre to see this latest version of the boy with no strings. 

The Little Match Girl at Bristol Old Vic

2018-01-02 Catherine Alexander

As The Little Match Girl journied to Bristol Old Vic this winter one of our Animations reviews, Catherine Alexander headed to go and see it too. 

Santa's Little Helper from Little Monster Productions

2017-12-20 Bob Frith

Ahead of Christmas Bob Frith takes his family to go and see some festive family friendly shows in London. 

The Tin Drum by Kneehigh

2017-12-17 Catherine Alexander

Catherine Alexander goes to Shoreditch Town Hall to see Kneehigh's The Tin Drum for Animations Online. 

Snow White by Angel Heart Theatre

2017-12-16 Bob Frith

Our Animations Online reviewer Bob Frith heads to The Boo ahead of Christmas for a show with his family. 

Punched Puppet Cabaret

2017-12-05 Alicia Britt

Our current PCT resident Alicia Britt went to see Punched Puppet Cabaret in Brighton. 

The Terrible Infants

2017-10-10 Penny Francis & Lesley Butler

Penny Francis goes to see the latest Les Enfants Terribles show at Wilton’s Music Hall.

La dernière danse de Brigitte at Skipton Puppetry Festival

2017-10-01 Addya Panayiotou

Whilst at Skipton Puppetry Festival, our reviewer Addya also goes to see La dernière danse de Brigitte (by Zero en Conducta, Spain). 

There and Back Again - an Odyssey

2017-10-01 Addya Panayiotou

Addya Panayiotou headed to Skipton Puppetry Festival 2017 and amist a feast of puppetry went to see There and Back Again - an Odyssey by Lyngo Theatre. 

Cryptid Petting Zoo by Headstrung

2017-09-10 Tobi Poster

Tobi Poster reviewed some shows for Animations Online as part of the Bristol Puppetry Festival. 

La Causeuse by EQUIVOC

2017-09-10 Tobi Poster

Tobi Poster sees La Causeuse by EQUIVOC at Bristol Puppetry Festival. 

Ipet by BonteHond

2017-09-02 Tobi Poster

Tobi Poster reviews for Animations Online from Bristol Festival of Puppetry. 

Parachute by Stephen Mottram

2017-09-02 Tobi Poster

Tobi Poster reviews Parachute by Stephen Mottram at The Bristol Festival of Puppetry 2017.

Kafka’s A Hunger Artist by Sinking Ship Productions

2017-08-18 Aya Nakamura

Sinking Ship are a Brooklyn-based theatre company who have turned a story by Franz Kafka into a solo show with their impressive performer Jonathan Levin. It was reviewed by Aya Nakamura at Zoo, Edinburgh Fringe. 

The Prophetic Visions of Bethany Lewis

2017-08-16 Aya Nakamura

Aya reviews The Prophetic Visions of Bethany Lewis presented by Laura Elmes Productions at The Edinburgh Fringe

 

 

Bruce presented by The Last Great Hunt

2017-08-15 Aya Nakamura

Aya Nakamura goes to another Puppetry show at the Edinburgh Fringe - this time, Bruce by The Great Hunt. 

Lula Del Ray (Edinburgh Fringe)

2017-08-03 Aya Nakamura

 Reviewed by Aya Nakamura, on 3 August at Underbelly, Cowbarn (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) 

Troll by Handbendi Brúðuleikhús

2017-07-31 Tilly Lunken

Troll by Icelandic company Handbendi Brúðuleikhús was performed at The Little Angel Theatre on 31st July 2017. 

How to Catch a Star presented by Branar Téatar do Pháisti

2017-07-18 Catherine Alexander

Galway International Art Festival in July 2017.  This piece is adapted from the book by Oliver Jeffers.

Little Red Riding Hood

2017-07-14 Penny Francis

Penny Francis goes to visit The Little Angel Theatre's Little Red Riding Hood. 

The Welcoming Party Theatre-Rites

2017-07-08 Bob Frith

Bob Frith reviews The Welcoming Party by Theatre-Rites as part of the Manchester International Festival.

The Hunting of the Snark (RSCCD)

2017-06-28 Penny Francis
Penny Francis goes to review the 2nd year students of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on the BA in Theatre Practice in collaboration with the Little Angel Theatre. Directed by Steve Tiplady. 
 

Clementine’s Fabulous Roadshow

2017-02-23 Addya Panayiotou

Addya Panayiotou visits the Norwich Puppet Theatre for Manipulate Festival for Clementine’s Fabulous Roadshow.

Edinburgh 2016 Review - In Our Hands

2016-08-07 Kerrin Tatman

Our Edinburgh Fringe reviewer Kerrin Tatman went to see In Our Hands by Smoking Apples. 

Underbelly - Cowgate (Belly Button), Venue 61

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Sunday 7th August 2016, 4pm

'The Marked' by Theatre Témoin

2016-08-07 Kerrin Tatman

Our Edinburgh reviewer Kerrin Tatman went to see The Marked by Theatre Témoin

Pleasance Dome, Venue 23

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Sunday 7th August 2016, 1.30pm

 

Birdheart by Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane

2016-02-19 Addya Panayiotou

Luckily for us, Norwich Puppet Theatre released some last minute tickets for Julian Crouch's Birdheart on 10th February and first in line was one of our reviewers Addya Panayiotou.

The Ugly Duckling by Thingumajig Theatre

2016-02-05 Alex Winfield

A review of The Ugly Duckling by Thingumajig Theatre at The Little Angel Theatre. 

Wunderkammer by Figurentheater-Tuebingen at The Barbican Pit

2016-02-02 Roxana Haines

Our review of Figurentheater-Tuebingen's Wunderkammer as part of The London International Mime Festival. 

Review: Kite

2016-01-28 Ana Diaz

A review of Kite by The Wrong Crowd at Soho Theatre last week.  

'In Our Hands' - Smoking Apples

2015-11-12 Addya Panayiotou

A mechoncholic tale of fishing and family estrangment with a beautiful constructed aesthetic.

'The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs' - The Clockwork Moth

2015-11-10 Alexander Winfield

A beautiully told original fairytale told with visually striking shadow puppets.

'Kwaidan' - Rouge28 Theatre

2015-11-09 Helen Jauregui

A chilling tale set in 1970s Japan making clever use of puppetry, video and illusion.

‘The Fantastical Tale of the Boy on the Run’ - Flying Dutchman

2015-11-08 Helen Jauregui

A sweet, absurd show featuring paper cutouts and masterful storytelling.

'Death Puppet Klezma Jam' - Mirth & Misery

2015-11-07 Helen Jauregui

Wierd and macarbre showcase of puppetry magic.

'Coulrophobia' - Pickled Image

2015-11-06 Helen Jauregui

A comically disturbing tale of imprisoned clowns and their puppet overlords.

'Outpost' - Green Ginger

2015-11-04 Alexander Winfield

A visually impressive and expertly performed puppet show looking at the oddities of border posts.

'Biting the Dust' - Grist to the Mill

2015-11-02 Alexander Winfield

An enthralling, dark and sensory meditation on mortaltiy.

'The Wild Man of Orford' – Rust & Stardust

2015-05-29 Alexander Winfield

An ambitious puppet production that tells the astounding tale of a captured merman.

'Beowulf' – Barely Human Puppets & Atomic Force

2015-05-29 Alexander Winfield

A dark and brooding puppet show that brings an ancient folk tale to brilliant life.

'Wolf's Child' – Wild Works

2015-05-20 Sian Kidd

A beguiling immersive performance with puppets that formed the focal point of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival this year.

'4 X 4 Ephemeral Architectures' – Gandini Juggling

2015-04-30 Celia Mendizabal

Ballet, circus and object theatre combine in this witty and often mesmerising production.

'The Paper Dolls' – Little Angel & Polka Theatre

2015-04-25 Catherine Alexander

Featuring simple and imaginative storytelling, this engaging puppet play brings Julia Donaldson's book to life.

'Alice's Adventures Underground' – Les Enfants Terrible

2015-04-21 Sian Kidd

This immersive, promenade performance is an ambitious invitation to dive right into Lewis Carroll's disorientating world.

'Lysistrata' – Theatrical Niche

2015-04-18 Alexander Winfield

Rod puppetry, mask and dreaded trouser tents all feature in this tireless version of Aristophanes' play.

'Swanhunter' – Opera North and The Wrong Crowd

2015-04-09 Penny Francis

A dreamy opera for young people, featuring arresting puppetry and magical lighting.

'Constellations' – Aracaladanza

2015-04-04 Alexander Winfield

A riotous and remarkable celebration of colour and wonder inspired by the work of Miró.

'The Wanted 18' – Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan

2015-03-24 Helen Babbs

Engaging documentary blends live action and stop motion to tell the true tale of Palestine's most wanted.

'Brer Rabbit and the Tarbaby' – Movingstage

2015-03-21 Helen Babbs

A marionette performance for kids featuring the long-eared trickster.

FIRSTS Festival – Little Angel Theatre

2015-03-20 Alexander Winfield

Four brand new puppet shows for adults were premiered at this year's FIRSTS festival.

'CELL' – Little Cauliflower & Smoking Apples

2015-03-14 Helen Babbs

An exploration of what it means to be diagnosed with motor neurone disease using puppetry and shadows.

'Death Puppet Klezma Jam' – Mirth & Misery | Manipulate 2015

2015-02-06 Addya Panayiotou

Klezmer gig meets puppet show in this joyful and stylish short festival performance.

'Animated Nightmares' – Robert Morgan | Manipulate 2015

2015-02-03 Sian Kidd

An award winning filmmaker presents an evening of animation designed to make you shiver.

‘That’s It’ – Sandman | Manipulate 2015

2015-01-31 Addya Panayiotou

Comic yet haunting, this solo performance blends physical and object theatre to great effect.

'Red Riding Hood, and the Wolf who tried to eat her' – Movingstage

2015-01-31 Helen Babbs

A new version of the classic tale, this marionette production has atmosphere and depth.

'Dogugaeshi' – Basil Twist | London International Mime Festival

2015-01-29 Jeremy Bidgood

A New York-based puppeteer recreates and reimagines a now nearly extinct Japanese theatrical form.

'Noodles' – NoFit State Circus | London International Mime Festival

2015-01-27 Celia Mendizabal

A fast paced and feel good performance where strings of pasta take centre stage.

'Plexus' – Compagnie 111 | London International Mime Festival

2015-01-22 Helen Babbs

A muscular portrait of an artist, featuring stunning set, light and sound design.

'Light' – Theatre Ad Infinitum | London International Mime Festival

2015-01-20 Helen Babbs

Incredible lighting and sound design combine with brilliant mime in this dystopian cautionary tale.

'Tatterdemalion' – Flabbergast Theatre

2015-01-17 Helen Babbs

A one man, wordless comedy sketch show from the makers of Boris & Sergey.

‘Institute’ – Gecko | London International Mime Festival

2015-01-17 Catherine Alexander

An exisquite dance piece with dynamic puppetry that explores the doctor/patient divide.

'Beauty and the Beast' – Norwich Puppet Theatre

2015-01-17 Kelly Page

A classic tale is given a new lease of life in this magical puppet production.

'Amortale' – Circus Ronaldo | London International Mime Festival

2015-01-16 Alexander Winfield

A gloriously chaotic production inspired by the fairground theatres that wandered Europe a hundred years ago.

'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King' – Unicorn Theatre

2014-12-28 Celia Mendizabal

A charming and inventive production that treats its young audience with respect.

'Jabberwocky' – Little Angel Theatre

2014-12-18 Alexander Winfield

A strange and daring show for children, bravely and brilliantly tackling Lewis Carroll's odd poem.

'The Possible Impossible House' – Forced Entertainment

2014-12-18 Helen Babbs

Sheets of cardboard, simple projections and homemade sound effects combine in this show for kids.

‘Golem’ – 1927

2014-12-16 Helen Babbs

What the geniuses behind the ‘The Animals and Children Took to the Streets’ did next.

'Antarctica' - Little Bulb Theatre

2014-12-09 Penny Francis

A fresh, funny and inventive piece of visual-physical-puppet theatre for kids.

 

'Divinely Human' – Moonymelty Theatre

2014-11-28 Alexander Winfield

A double-bill of short plays, packed with laughs, talent and ideas.

'The Greatest Liar in All the World' – Familia de la Noche

2014-11-18 Helen Babbs

A dark comic riff on the Pinocchio story with some surprisingly poignant parts.

'Dare to Sea' – Peut-Être Theatre & La Manoeuvre

2014-11-07 Helen Jauregui

Circus, dance, animation and object theatre combine in this family show.

London International Animation Festival | 'A Rapid Love Story'

2014-10-31 Alexander Winfield

A bonkers but brilliant feature length stop motion animation from Estonia, tackling the plight of refugees.

London International Animation Festival | Late Night Macabre

2014-10-29 Alexander Winfield

An anthology of animated shorts that delve into the darker dimensions of human existence.

London International Animation Festival | 'Rocks in My Pocket'

2014-10-24 Alexander Winfield

Premiering at LIAF 2014, this animated feature length film explores the depths of depression.

'Theories of Flight' – Skeyne Theatre

2014-09-20 Beth Crane

More performance art than a play, this movement piece features some beautiful puppetry and expressive lighting.

'Fantastic Mr Fox' – Little Angel Theatre

2014-09-20 Beth Crane

A family show bringing a much loved story to life with an inventive set and attractive rod puppets.

'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' – Puppet Theatre Barge

2014-09-19 Alexander Winfield

Scenes of subtle beauty and fabulous strangeness combine in a fine marionette production for adults.

'The Secret Life of Suitcases' – Unicorn Theatre

2014-09-19 Alexander Winfield

An imaginative and charming puppet show for curious kids that's packed with surprises and transformations.

'Dead Dog in a Suitcase' – Kneehigh

2014-09-04 Cariad Astles

A fabulously macabre show based on the 'Beggar's Opera', featuring puppetry and acrobatics.

'Ubu and the Truth Commission' – Handspring Puppet Company

2014-08-29 Jungmin Song

A poignant and dignified revival of a 1997 play with puppets that explores political transition in post-apartheid South Africa.

Kid Koala’s 'Nufonia Must Fall' – Live

2014-08-18 Helen Jauregui

Equal parts cinema, puppet theatre and gig, this innovative show from scratch DJ Kid Koala is based on his graphic novel of the same name.

Ed Fringe 2014 | 'Bears in Space' – Collapsing Horse

2014-08-15 Beth Crane

A riotous comedy show featuring astronaut bears and some well thought out shadow work.

Ed Fringe 2014 | 'Paradise Lost' – Paul Van Dyke

2014-08-15 Beth Crane

Puppets, animation and a rock 'n' roll soundscape combine in this innovative adaptation of Milton's epic poem.

Ed Fringe 2014 | 'Sleeping Beauty' – Cie Akselere

2014-08-12 Beth Crane

A touching and visually imaginative performance, featuring shadow work, rod puppetry and object theatre.

Ed Fringe 2014 | 'Dr Longitude's Imaginary Menagerie' – Les Enfants Terribles

2014-08-11 Beth Crane

A camp, ridiculous romp through a zoo-full of fictional creatures and their peculiar keepers.

Ed Fringe 2014 | ‘Malasombra’ – Au Ments Dance Company

2014-08-08 Katharine Kavanagh

Dance and cartoons combine in a piece that blends live choreography with shadow and projection imagery.

'Clouds' – Aracaladanza

2014-07-28 Alexander Winfield

Family friendly dance show inspired by the surreal paintings of Magritte, featuring joyful object and shadow work.

'Moominsummer Madness' – Polka Theatre

2014-07-22 Alexander Winfield

A cheerful, energetic and surreal puppet adaptation of Tove Jansson's fifth Moomin book.

'Leviathan' – Living Structures

2014-07-17 Alexander Winfield

Physical theatre inspired by Melville’s 'Moby Dick' featuring puppetry, circus, live music and spoken word.

'Fireside Tales with Granddad' – Pickled Image

2014-07-06 Helen Jauregui

Pickled Image's signature style puppets deliver a family friendly, homely sort of a show.

'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland' – Box Tale Soup

2014-07-05 Helen Jauregui

A charming take on the classic tale with supreme puppetry and a simple suitcase set.

 

'Thinking Inside the Box' – Steve Hewlett and friends

2014-06-25 Helen Jauregui

The ventriloquist, of 'Britain's Got Talent Fame', pays homage to Cowell and co with his new show.

'Kiss & Cry' – Charleroi Danses

2014-06-25 Jungmin Song

A touching ballet of hands that uses miniature animation, live film and projection.

'The Great War' – Hotel Modern

2014-06-24 Jeremy Bidgood

Point-of-view video feeds and puppets navigate intricate sets in this imaginative and moving depiction of the Western Front.

'The Jungle Book' – Indigo Moon

2014-06-19 Helen Jauregui

Innovative and intricate shadow work bring a much loved children's tale to life.

'The Flying Roast Goose' – Out of Chaos and Yellow Earth Theatre

2014-06-06 Penny Francis

An intelligent and colourful performance set during Hong Kong’s subjugation by Japan and featuring an adorable, ill-fated goose.

'Opus No.7' – Dmitry Krymov

2014-06-05 Song Jungmin

Densely packed with potent symbols, this atmospheric two part work is a meditation on twentieth century Russia.

'Invisible Giant' – Feral Theatre

2014-05-29 Darren East

An ambitious, if rather raw, piece of theatre for kids presented at this year's Brighton Fringe.

'Skitterbang Island' – Polka Theatre and Little Angel Theatre

2014-04-30 Alexander Winfield

An opera aimed squarely at children, this entrancing show features a show stealing puppet star and a finely realised set.

'Rubbish' – Theatre Rites

2014-04-17 Song Jungmin

A visually accomplished piece of children's theatre that uses puppetry to bring some rather attractive discarded objects to life.

'Shakespeare: The Puppet Show' – The Puppet Story

2014-04-15 Beth Crane

Engaging and educational family theatre that uses a variety of puppetry techniques to celebrate Shakespeare.

'The Frog and the Princess' – Norwich Puppet Theatre

2014-04-09 Isobel Smith

Ingenuity and wit shine through in this accomplished puppet show for young audiences.

'The Red Balloon' – String Theatre

2014-04-03 Alexander Winfield

As romantic as it is traditional, this delightful marionette production has a gentle, bittersweet charm.

'At the End of Everything Else' – Unicorn Theatre

2014-04-01 Penny Francis

A bicycle powered production for over eights featuring small scale puppets and live animation.

FIRSTS festival 2014

2014-03-28 Alexander Winfield

This March, the Little Angel Theatre's FIRSTS festival premiered a selection of new works from young, emerging puppetry companies.

Spitting Image – From Start to Finish

2014-03-28 Helen Babbs

30 years after its first broadcast, the celebrated and controversial satirical puppet show makes a welcome, temporary return with an exhibition at London's Cartoon Museum.

'Father Nandru and the Wolves' – Wiltons Music Hall

2014-03-25 Penny Francis

Energetic and energising, this memorable puppetry piece is suffused with gypsy music and folk romance.

'Portofino Ballad' – Peter Rinderknecht

2014-02-23 Alexander Winfield

A double bass doubles up as a puppet theatre of sorts, in this slightly strange and imaginative performance for younger audiences.

'Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs' – Les Petits Theatre Company

2014-02-17 Celia Mendizabal

High production values, storytelling, singing and some puppet-playing combine in this hyperactive adaptation of an award winning children's book.

'Black Hoods' – Old Watty Theatre Company

2014-02-10 Alexander Winfield

A series of skits created from the flimsiest of materials, this short puppet play lacks a strict narrative but delivers lots of laughs.

'Missing' – Gecko Theatre | London International Mime Festival

2014-01-31 EJ Stedman

A beautiful dance piece that evolves into something more obscure, this mime fest show features a show-stealing bunraku puppet.

'What's Become of You?' – Compagnie 111 | London International Mime Festival

2014-01-30 Helen Babbs

Raw dance, vivid shadow-play and a flamenco dress with a mind of its own combine in this intimate portrait of an artist.

'Jim Henson, the Biography' – Brian Jay Jones

2014-01-28 Penny Francis

Offering us the life story of one of puppetry's greats, this biography explores the inner workings and outer achievements of a man with a huge heart and an enduring legacy.

'Apocrifu' – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

2014-01-25 Song Jungmin

Dance, object play and music combine in a spiritually enticing but ideologically troubling performance.

'Finding Joy' – Vamos Theatre | London International Mime Festival

2014-01-24 Helen Jauregui

A moving piece of full mask theatre, exploring the impact of dementia on grandmother and grandson.

'Forget Me Not' – Compagnie Philippe Genty | London International Mime Festival

2014-01-17 Nigel Luck

A visually inventive show, exploring the nature of memory and relationships through unusual dance, mask and puppetry.

'Vortex' – Company Non Nova | London International Mime Festival

2014-01-11 Katharine Kavanagh

Experiments with wind and plastic delight and disturb in this Mime Festival show.

Wael Shawky – Serpentine Gallery

2014-01-02 Helen Jauregui

This unusual exhibition of artwork and films explores religious fundamentalism, and features hundreds of intricate marionettes.

'The Elephantom' – National Theatre

2013-12-13 Celia Mendizabal

A colourful piece of family theatre that unfolds like an animated storybook and stars the huge ghost of an elephant.

'The Night Before Christmas' – Little Angel Theatre

2013-11-23 Celia Mendizabal

A festive adventure story, featuring inventive shifts in scale and a lively original score.

'Satyagraha' – English National Opera

2013-11-20 Helen Babbs

An entrancing opera about Gandhi's early years, featuring huge puppets made from humble materials.

'The Light Princess' – National Theatre

2013-11-10 Helen Jauregui

A grown-up panto boasting aerial effects, fantasy puppets and memorable songs.

'Bastard!' – DudaPaiva Company | Suspense 2013

2013-11-02 Nigel Luck

Great puppet theatre meets great physical theatre, and existentialism, in this solo piece featuring large foam puppets.

'The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean' – Shona Reppe Puppets

2013-11-02 Beccy Smith

Multi sensory and masterfully designed, this is an original and captivating show executed with wit and style.

'For Their Own Good' – Untied Artists | Suspense 2013

2013-11-02 Helen Jauregui

A bold and brave production using a life size horse puppet, this show provides intelligent comment on the euthanasia debate.

'Immigrants!' – The Great Puppet Horn | Suspense 2013

2013-11-02 Helen Babbs

Shadow puppetry is used to riff off contemporary concerns like climate change, economics and, of course, immigration.

'All He Fears' | Movingstage Marionette Company | Suspense 2013

2013-10-27 Celia Mendizabal

Long string marionettes are used to tell Howard Barker's story of a wretched philosopher who conjures up all his nightmares in one day.

'Thinking It and Fainting' – Grist to the Mill | Suspense 2013

2013-10-26 Helen Jauregui

An exploration of one woman’s domestic life and her quest to find milk for a cup of tea, this residency piece features an ethereal rod puppet and an ever-changing kitchen monster.

'Boris & Sergey's Astonishing Freakatorium' – Flabbergast Theatre | Suspense 2013

2013-10-26 Helen Jauregui

A fast-paced comedy showcase with a vaudevillian aesthetic, our Balkan bunraku hosts succeed in making pain and death funny.

'Madam Butterfly' – English National Opera

2013-10-21 Celia Mendizabal

Anthony Minghella's celebrated production returns, offering a truly pleasurable aesthetic experience.

Puppet Opera Triple Bill – Third Hand

2013-10-13 Helen Jauregui

Three short operas showcase just how versatile and inventive puppet opera can be.

'Macbeth' – Little Angel Theatre

2013-10-10 Celia Mendizabal

With the cast re-imagined as a flock of birds, this production creates a magical, otherworldly and threatening atmosphere that captures the essence of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Festival Mondial des Theatres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mezieres 2013

2013-10-01 Celia Mendizabal

From sublime street theatre to invite-only premieres, the Festival Mondial des Theatres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mezieres offers audiences an overwhelming amount of puppetry over nine days.

‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' – The Tiger Lillies

2013-09-06 Helen Babbs

A musical interpretation of Coleridge's epic poem, the highlight of this show is the Python-esque animated set, which features puppetry, mask and circus.

'Munch and Van Gogh' – Ulkrika Quade Company

2013-08-31 Helen Jauregui

Fine art, fame and talk show absurdity combine beautifully in a unique homage to two great, dead artists.

The Smoking Puppet Cabaret – Bristol Festival of Puppetry

2013-08-31 Helen Jauregui

Glamourous stripteases, macabre stunts and magic all make for a late night puppet cabaret with a smouldering atmosphere.

'The Man Who Planted Trees' – Puppet State Theatre Company

2013-08-23 Helen Babbs

Using a modest mix of live action, glove and tabletop puppetry, two master storytellers transport us to the dusty, windswept home of a shepherd with a tree planting habit.

'Pendulum's Bargain Emporium' – Maison Foo | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-21 Darren East

Using a mix of puppetry and live action, this show turns 'The Elves and the Shoemaker' into a potent satire about child labour and consumerism.

'Feral' – Tortoise in a Nutshell | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-21 Darren East

Technically sophisticated, this show uses live paper animation to lay the creative process bare.

'Birdhouse' – Jammy Voo | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-20 Darren East

Clowning, physical theatre and delightful hand puppetry combine to tell the story of the minor characters from Hitchcock's 'The Birds'.

'Slapdash Galaxy: 3D' – Bunk Puppets | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-19 Darren East

Masterful, simple shadow puppetry abounds in a show that sparkles somewhere between storytelling, theatre and stand-up.

'The Red Tree' – Featherweight Theatre | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-19 Darren East

This performance uses object theatre to deliver a visually creative interpretation of an award winning children's book about depression

'HAG' – The Wrong Crowd | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-18 Darren East

A stunning full body puppet is the highlight of this promising but flawed delve into Slavic myth and horror.

'It’s Dark Outside' – Perth Theatre Company & Weeping Spoon | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-18 Darren East

Live action, projection and skilled puppetry deliver a sophisticated and emotionally rich exploration of human experience.

'Dustpan Odyssey' – Compagnie Philippe Genty | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-18 Darren East

A tabletop performance conjured from found objects, this playful version of an epic classic is full of surprises.

 

‘L’après-midi d’un Foehn’ – Company Non Nova | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-16 Katharine Kavanagh

Elemental animation at its most simple and powerful, this short performance breathes life and poetry into the humble plastic bag.

'The Crocodile' – Llywelyn ap Myrddin

2013-08-15 Helen Jauregui

A comic opera with bite, based on a short story by Dostoyevksy and featuring an impressive rod puppet star.

‘Kind’ – Nominal Theatre | Edinburgh 2013

2013-08-15 Katharine Kavanagh

Marionettes and household objects combine to tell a troubling story set on a remote Scottish island.

'Headcase' – Touched Theatre

2013-07-14 EJ Stedman

An affecting performance blending puppetry and contemporary dance, 'Headcase' tackles mental health issues with honesty and humour.

'Bank On It' – Theatre-Rites

2013-06-27 Song Jungmin

An immersive piece of theatre for kids, this production uses puppets and objects to tackle financial and environmental issues.

‘Princess Mononoke’ – Whole Hog Theatre

2013-06-19 Helen Babbs

An epic tale told with ambition and enthusiasm, this adaption of a cult anime film features huge wild beasts brought to life with energetic puppetry.

'Saints Alive' – Michael Landy

2013-06-12 Song Jungmin

Amusing automatons made of rusting junk and found objects see tortured Christian saints re-imagined and made interactive.

'Avenue Q – The Musical'

2013-06-02 

An untamed musical featuring an array of cheeky muppet-style hand puppets - the West End hit goes on tour.

'Fish Pie' - Colossal Crumbs

2013-05-31 Ellen de Vries

Inventive shifts in scale and a menagerie of colourful characters combine in this endearing production.

'The Shop of Little Horrors' – Pickled Image

2013-05-29 Helen Jauregui

A ventriloquist's workshop strewn with puppet parts provides the macabre setting for this dark comic horror.

'The Trench' – Les Enfants Terribles

2013-05-28 Helen Jauregui

A claustrophobic depiction of life in the trenches, where large rod puppets and shadow animation help to create an unearthly atmosphere.

'Dolly Mixtures' – Nina Conti

2013-05-21 Helen Jauregui

If talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, then Nina Conti provides a first class ticket to her own personal bedlam with her new show, where she brings more madcap characters to the stage than ever before.

'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' – Little Angel Theatre

2013-05-18 EJ Stedman

Wooden rod puppets bring Michael Rosen's well loved book to life, with catchy songs provided by Barb Jungr.

'The Firework-Maker's Daughter' – The Opera Group and Opera North

2013-05-17 Isobel Smith

Simple shadow puppetry and ingenious masks combine beautifully in this enchanting opera adapted from the novels of Philip Pullman.

'Occasionally Ovid' – Helen Ainsworth

2013-05-11 Jeremy Bidgood

There is a lot to like in this raucous one woman show that tears through three myths from Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’ at break-neck speed using grotesque Gerald Scarfe style hand and body puppets.

'Puppets, Pawns, and Prophets' – Marcel Dzama

2013-05-08 Helen Jauregui

Object theatre, mask, dance, film and sculpture combine in this unusual show, which has the game of chess as its central theme.

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre

2013-05-01 Helen Jauregui

A feel good comedy show featuring space travel and Scottish rock, delivered with aplomb by a pair of grey woolly socks in a tartan booth.

'Nice' – Folded Feather

2013-04-28 Helen Jauregui

A menagerie of puppets feature during this bizarre adventure down the pipe of a fantastical machine, including a life size whacky professor and a little girl carved from smooth wood.

'Platero – Travels with a Donkey' – Mike Maran Productions and Marjanishvili Theatre

2013-04-27 Helen Jauregui

A charming production for adults based on the stories by the late Nobel prize winning poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, this production charts the travels of a little marionette donkey and his narrator owner.

'My Life with Puppets' – Ronnie Le Drew

2013-04-26 EJ Stedman

If you've watched television at any point during the last forty years or so, you'll know Ronnie Le Drew. From his infamous turn as Zippy from Rainbow, to various characters from Roger and the Rottentrolls, he has quite literally done it all.

'The Girl with the Iron Claws' – The Wrong Crowd

2013-04-23 Celia Mendizabal

A Norwegian fairytale for adults only, this production tells its dark story using beautifully made puppets and fantastic lighting design.

'The Girl With No Heart' – Sparkle and Dark

2013-04-20 Kristin Fredricksson

A powerful piece inspired by child victims’ accounts of the atomic bombings in Japan at the end of the Second World War, using shadows, masks on hands, half-body puppets with human legs and paper cranes of all sizes.

'Noggin the Nog' – Third Party Productions

2013-04-13 Helen Jauregui

A reimagining of a classic TV series aimed at families, this production mixes live action, rod and glove puppetry and animation to create the weird and wonderful Land of Nog.

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' – Bristol Old Vic with Handspring Puppet Company

2013-04-09 Matthew Isaac Cohen

A landmark staging of an old classic, this accomplished new production from the brains behind 'War Horse' makes use of tabletop puppetry, object theatre, bunraku and much more.

'Crazy Hair' – Bamboozle Theatre

2013-04-07 Helen Jauregui

Playful energy, various puppets and plenty of colourful props combine in this adaptation of Neil Gaiman's popular picture book ‘Crazy Hair’.

'The Tinderbox' – Norwich Puppet Theatre

2013-04-03 Kristin Fredricksson

An imaginative production that tells Hans Christian Andersen's tale using all kinds of different types of puppetry, animation and projection.

‘Drifters’ – Strange Arrangements

2013-03-24 EJ Stedman

An experimental. ambitious and wordless performance that is as much dance, mime and symphony as it is puppet theatre, and is an example of interdisciplinary theatre at its best.

'The Engineer's Thumb' – Dotted Line Theatre

2013-03-21 Celia Mendizabal

Based on a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this is an original and captivating adaptation that combines inventive, varied puppetry techniques, romantic horror and subtle humour to great effect.

‘The Nose’ – Carnival of Objects

2013-03-17 Kristin Fredricksson

An energetic and exuberant performance, where a huge array of well-crafted puppets, animation and live music combine to tell Gogol's surreal story.

'Killing Roger' – Sparkle and Dark

2013-03-13 Helen Jauregui

A 60-minute leap into the life of a housebound old man, which glitters with ethical dilemmas but retains plenty of room for superb dialogue and the odd joke.

'Dinosaur Petting Zoo' – Erth

2013-02-18 Celia Mendizabal

‘Dinosaur Petting Zoo’ is an excuse to bring some extinct creatures back to life and offers young audiences the chance to interact with some magnificent dinosaur puppets.

'There's a Monster in my Piano' – Garlic Theatre

2013-02-16 Helen Jauregui

A 45 minute frolic where jazz and comedy meet pure fun, ‘There’s a Monster in my Piano’ uses animation, hand and glove puppetry to charm its young audience.

'There's a Rabbit in the Moon' – Vélo Théâtre

2013-02-15 Eleanor Margolies

The intense performance is structured by the logic of the dream. Toys, everyday objects, song lyrics, words from old stories and onomatopoeic sounds – all have equal status as things on stage.

‘The Ulster Kama Sutra’ – Terra Nova Theatre Company

2013-02-14 Patricia Brennan

This is a puppet cabaret conceived from interviews conducted across Northern Ireland and loosely based on the ‘Kama Sutra’ text. It presents beliefs, perceptions and stereotypes of both Hindu and Northern Irish sexuality and relationships.

'Schicklgruber… Alias Adolf Hitler’ – Stuffed Puppet Theatre | Manipulate Festival

2013-02-09 Helen Babbs

A one-man show using muppet-style puppets, which tells the infamous story of the final moments of Hitler, Eva Braun, Goebbels et al in their underground bunker.

'The Making of Longbird' – Will Anderson | Manipuate Festival

2013-02-09 Helen Babbs

A carefully crafted, creatively shot and great fun 15 minute film, which is presented in a documentary style and blends live action and frame-by-frame paper cut out animation.

'Consuming Spirits' – Chris Sullivan | Manipulate Festival

2013-02-08 Helen Babbs

Spiralling alcoholism, game hunting, neglect and gardening are the themes that flow through this feature-length animation shot frame by frame on 16mm, which brings 2D paper puppets, toy cars, old photos and pencil drawings to life.

'Papercut' – Yael Rasooly | Manipulate Festival

2013-02-07 Helen Babbs

What do you get if you cross a black and white Hollywood movie with a busy 1950s office and a paper doll activity book? This – a two dimensional romantic adventure in paper that unfurls chaotically across a stationery strewn desktop.

'Passing On' – Santé Theatre Warwick

2013-02-07 Ellen de Vries

This ethnodrama uses puppetry to bring to life verbatim text taken from three years of research on end-of-life care.

JEW(ish) – Eye Spy Arts

2013-01-27 Celia Mendizabal

A one-man show that explores the cultural heritage of the Jewish community using objects, toy theatre and cardboard boxes.

'Letter's End' – Wolfe Bowart | London International Mime Festival

2013-01-24 Helen Jauregui

A fast-paced one man show that delivers a quirky bundle of puppetry, circus, film, magic and mayhem, and showcases the epic skill set of a Cirque du Soleil trained clown.

'Savanna, A Possible Landscape' – Amit Drori | London International Mime Festival

2013-01-22 Helen Babbs

Like all good puppetry, this performance explores that quirky impulse of ours to imbue inanimate objects with life. Except here objects aren’t just given life by puppeteers; their movements are enhanced and extended by radio-controlled mechanics.

'Les Hommes Vides' – Invisible Thread | London International Mime Festival

2013-01-17 EJ Stedman

A short and simple performance – without set or technology – featuring tabletop puppetry and offering a masterclass in manipulation.

‘Harlekin’ – Derevo | London International Mime Festival

2013-01-16 Leslie Burton

A puppet-master hangs up his toy performers and then stomps off. Is what comes after only in the minds of the puppets? This is visual theatre at its most maddening, haunting and virtuosic.

'The Cardinals' – Stan's Cafe | London International Mime Festival

2013-01-14 Kristin Fredricksson

An ambitious project with a deliberately naïve style, this performance races through the whole Bible and beyond, to the Crusades and right up to today's suicide bombers.

'Hand Stories' – Yeung Fai | London International Mime Festival

2013-01-14 Ellen de Vries

Rather than a set of vignettes, as traditional Chinese hand puppetry might dictate, ‘Hand Stories’ is a meditation on the dexterous potential of the hands that never takes itself too seriously.

'The Master and Margarita' – Complicite & Simon McBurney

2012-12-19 Jeremy Bidgood

Adapting a novel as complex, well-known and revered as Bulgakov’s is an act of hubris that few theatre companies could hope to live up to. Back for its second run at the Barbican, this carefully constructed show manages to encapsulate most of the complex and twisting satire.

'The Nightingale' – Horse + Bamboo

2012-12-15 Beccy Smith

Beautiful but soporofic storytelling is on offer in this visually arresting adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's dark tale, which uses puppetry, mask and shadows.

‘The Little Match Girl Passion’ – I Fagiolini and Matthew Robins

2012-12-14 Helen Babbs

Part of the Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, this unusual concert produced by Opera North Projects features a combination of classical singing and live animation in the candlelit surrounds of Shoreditch Church.

'The Animals and Children Took to the Streets' – 1927

2012-12-13 Helen Babbs

Inventively blending projected animation with live action, this show is a visual treat. A bare stage, save for three simple white screens, is transformed into the deliciously seamy Bayou Mansions by three actors and an animator.

'The Wind in the Willows' – Will Tuckett

2012-12-13 Jeremy Bidgood

A fourth revival of Will Tuckett’s dance version of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic, blending dance, music, puppetry and clever set design by the Quay Brothers, with new puppets by Toby Olié.

'Dogs Don't Do Ballet' - Little Angel Theatre

2012-12-09 Isabel Lyster

Delicate rod puppetry is used to tell the story of a dog who dreams of being a ballet dancer, in this funny production for 2-6 year olds.

'A Christmas Carol' - a collaboration between Smoking Apples, Sam Wyer and Petersham Playhouse

2012-12-07 Francis Wright

A promenade performance with puppets of Dickens' classic tale at the Petersham Playhouse, an atmospheric Georgian mansion by the Thames.

'The Man Who Wasn't There & Other Stories' - Genius Sweatshop

2012-11-28 Catherine Alexander

Genius Sweatshop is an emerging company of circus performers, puppeteers and design graduates. In this double bill they approach two stories that address the frailty and loneliness of male protagonists.

'Arab Nights' - Metta Theatre

2012-11-27 Jeremy Bidgood

In this collection of six short plays, an ensemble makes use of simple costumes, object manipulation, digital projections and live music to jump from palaces to airplanes to the troubled night streets of Cairo.

‘Pinocchio’ – Little Angel Theatre

2012-11-24 Helen Babbs

Mixing mask and rod puppetry, this Little Angel Theatre production of 'Pinocchio' charts the journey of one of the world’s best known puppets from wood to flesh over a series of simple but increasingly sinister episodes.

SPILL 2012 - mass destruction and more subtle arts

2012-11-21 Matthew Isaac Cohen

Over two parts, Matthew Isaac Cohen reflects on the relationship between objects and live art at the 2012 SPILL Festival of Performance. Part two - mass destruction and more subtle arts.

SPILL 2012 - live art and white goods

2012-11-07 Matthew Isaac Cohen

Over two parts, Matthew Isaac Cohen reflects on the relationship between objects and live art at the 2012 SPILL Festival of Performance. Part one – live art and white goods.

‘Miss Ophelia’ - Het Filiaal

2012-11-01 Eleanor Margolies

Het Filiaal play with a mixture of live performance, toy theatre and shadows. The two performers move with brio between different scales and viewpoints.

London International Animation Festival 2012

2012-10-31 Helen Babbs

Like puppetry, animation is slowly being taken more seriously as an adult art form that allows filmmakers to tackle subjects in ways live action never could.

'Puppet Master' - Paul Zerdin

2012-10-03 Matthew Isaac Cohen

Gobo stars and Las Vegas style revue music set the scene for Bloomsbury Theatre’s launch of English ventriloquist Paul Zerdin’s autumn tour, 'Puppet Master', sharing the bill on this occasion with the comic juggler Ben Langley. Ventriloquism has indeed become a starry art once again.

'The Tear Thief' - Little Angel Theatre

2012-09-29 Helen Babbs

A shimmering puppet seated on an orb of moonlight hovers across a dusky stage, shared with a lone musician and his cello. It’s a magical beginning to a simple tale, which unfolds between the hours of supper and bedtime.

'Sock Puppet' - John-Luke Roberts

2012-09-27 Matthew Isaac Cohen

The clever conceit of ‘Sock Puppet’ is that the puppet on the end of the hand of struggling art school graduate Ralph Guiltless is indeed a sock – a haunted sock, possessed by the soul of a notorious Yorkshire art forger, who uses Ralph’s body to wreak revenge on the art professor and assorted others who betrayed him.

'The Great Puppet Horn' - Pangolin's Teatime | Edinburgh 2012

2012-08-27 Rebecca Davis

Billed as ‘South Park meets Newsnight with a whole load of cardboard’, this company’s use of popular film, comic book imagery and surreal humour belies intelligent satire and a complicated story, which was intricately brought to a conclusion.

'Angus - Weaver of Grass' - Horse + Bamboo | Edinburgh 2012

2012-08-22 Raven Kaliana

The story unravels as an old man pulls a bit of grass from his pocket and begins to twist it together in his hands. Throuhgout, the puppets have a rough, folk-art quality, while shadow puppetry and projections are used to illuminate an inner world.

'Ma Biche et mon Lapin' - Collectif Aïe Aïe Aïe | Edinburgh 2012

2012-08-22 Simon Hart

Sometimes the best theatrical treasures of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are the small and perfectly formed ones, often hidden away in unusual performing spaces. Such was 'Ma Biche et mon Lapin'.

'Boris & Sergey' - Flabbergast | Edinburgh 2012

2012-08-16 Raven Kaliana

Extraordinary feats of team puppet manipulation, improvised dialogue and audience interaction keep the performance fresh. Not to mention the enduring impact of the striking finale.

'Cloud Man' - Ailie Cohen | Edinburgh 2012

2012-08-14 Eleanor Margolies

This delicate production is thoughtful, beautifully designed and structured. It invites the audience to pay attention to familiar things and find magic there.

'The Flycycle and Submercycle' - Pif-Paf

2012-07-14 Zelda Hannay

These are two madcap cycle contraptions that showcase Pif-Paf’s wonderful ability to create beautiful but functional objects around which a theatrical world can revolve.

‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ - threesixty

2012-07-09 Jeremy Bidgood

As Hollywood’s inexorably saccharine skirmishes with the Narnia series have shown, it’s easy to get adaptations wrong. Fortunately there’s enough in Rupert Gould’s production to entertain old and young.

'Crow' - Handspring Puppet Company UK

2012-06-21 Jeremy Bidgood

In front of a placental like projection, a scrawny, new-born crow struggles to its feet atop a mound of earth. It slowly gains control of its extremities as more puppeteers come to its aid

'Something Very Far Away' - Unicorn Theatre

2012-06-06 Penny Francis

Brecht believed in the suppression of dishonest illusion and the involvement of the spectators in performance. He was part of a zeitgeist which brought the puppeteers onto the stage in an attempt to denude the puppets of their ‘magic’ life, to show the mechanics of their artificiality.

'Talk to the Hand' - Nina Conti

2012-05-25 Jeremy Bidgood

Nina Conti and her simian alter-ego, Monk, are no newcomers to the UK comedy scene but they never fail to amaze and delight. Ventriloquists may be a rare phenomenon in the twenty-first century but even if they were as common as ‘man with microphone does observational humour’ Conti would undoubtedly still be one of the scene’s brightest stars.

'The Odyssey' - The Paper Cinema

2012-05-18 Mark Whitaker

The Paper Cinema’s Odyssey proved to be one of the hot tickets of this year’s Norfolk and Norwich Festival (the night I went was sold out with a waiting list).

'Swamp Juice' - Bunk Puppets

2012-05-05 Matt Jackson

Entering into Bunk Puppet's Swamp Juice set at the Soho Theatre, looked more like someone had hung their old toys to dry on a clothes line above, while the battered ones still laid lifeless below on the ground.

'Swallows and Amazons' - The Children’s Touring Partnership

2012-04-20 Eleanor Margolies

In Arthur Ransome’s 1930 novel Swallows and Amazons, the four Walker children (the youngest just seven years old), sail to a Lake District island and camp there alone.

'The Lonely One' - Dotted Line Theatre

2012-03-30 Isobel Smith

The Lonely One is an intense tale, expertly told.

'Me & the Sea' - Touched Theatre

2012-03-25 Matt Jackson

To be honest, I wasn't surprised Darren East was the front man for last Sunday's performance of Me & the Sea. His personality is the perfect fit for such a well-rounded show.

'The Fantasist' - Theatre Témoin and Cie Traversière

2012-03-01 Eleanor Margolies

This impressive devised piece provides plenty of food for thought. Louise is a painter whose ecstatic experience of creativity and heightened sensation tips into nightmare.

'The Devil and Mister Punch' - Improbable

2012-02-10 Isobel Smith

Improbable's masterpiece The Devil and Mister Punch is a fitting tribute to the first recorded Mr Punch in 1662, 350 years ago this year. It contains all the wife beating, baby throwing, sausage chasing shenanigans we would expect from a Punch and Judy show, along with Harvey and Hovey, bowler-hatted clown puppeteers played with exuberance and pathos in equal measure by Nick Haverson and Rob Thirtle.

'André and Dorine' - Kulunka Teatro

2012-01-26 Penny Francis

It had a big heart and an engaging story told without words by three talented performers in big masks which expressed very well – and simply – the characters portrayed.

'2 Dimensional Life of Her' - Fleur Elise Noble

2012-01-25 Penny Francis

Memory paints pictures of an environment of blacks, whites and greys with sudden bursts of intense colour, as when the whole stage burns down in a ferocious fire caused by a careless smoker. Fire is noisy, and the noise of breaking wood and glass added to the fear that just maybe the fire was real and we the audience were in danger. 

'Fragments de Vie' - Théâtre Tête de Pioche

2012-01-25 Isobel Smith

After a tantalising peek at Christine Saint-André's beautiful static installations in the anti-chamber, we leave our coats, bags and are shoeless and penniless as we enter the inner sanctum.

'Plucked' - Invisible Thread

2012-01-21 Isobel Smith

Yes, beware the wolf-man and the raven too, for in Plucked, a dark fairytale about desire and betrayal, the horny wolf does get the girl and the bitter crone raven will wreak her bitter revenge on you peck-by-peck.

'A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings' - Kneehigh / Little Angel Theatre

2012-01-19 Isobel Smith

The action begins with the fabulous nosy old woman, nebbing out of her cottage window and busy-bodying around the streets. She is very happy to offer her opinions and miserable premonitions.

'Translunar Paradise' - Theatre Ad Infinitum

2012-01-17 Matt Jackson

Theatre Ad Infinitum's latest production is performed by a talented trio combining the techniques of classic mask work, dance, Feldenkrais movement, Lecoq physical training, circus skills and cabaret. 

'The Table' - Blind Summit

2012-01-13 Isobel Smith

Blind Summit's new production The Table is almost three shows in one. The first slice of action sees a puppet Moses preparing to perform the last twelve hours of his life for us, in real time. 

'Murmurs' - Aurélia Thierrée & Victoria Thierrée Chaplin

2011-12-28 Penny Francis

The Chaplin dynasty continues on its merry way, its latest offering being this piece of visual theatre from Charlie’s granddaughter Aurelia, directed by his daughter Victoria.

'Still Life' - Folded Feather

2011-11-06 Liat Rosenthal

Still Life, presented by Folded Feather, was a visual journey into a post-apocalyptic landscape scattered with fragmented objects striving to find their place. The creatures inhabiting the darkness are formed from discarded objects: a chair, an old pair of boots, some pillowcases, each reconfigured into distinct characters with their own internal desires, fears, motives... hang-ups. 

'Urashima Taro' - Rouge 28 Theatre

2011-10-30 Liat Rosenthal

Urashima Taro, by Rouge 28 Theatre, tells the story of a fisherman seduced by a heartless turtle-woman.