<The Background Of Puppet Craft>

PuppetCraft is one of Britain's most acclaimed touring puppet troupes, presenting a wide range of shows and workshops to a spectrum of audiences, from children to families, and to adults. It is noted for a combination of beautifully crafted puppets with specially composed music. The content of shows extends from traditional folklore of different countries, to original modern tales. The company varies from 2 to 12 performers, makers, musicians. See Team behind the puppets. Touring throughout the Southwest, nationally and internationally.

Places where PuppetCraft has performed include:
Bath Puppet Festival, Theatre Royal Festival, Salisbury Festival, Canterbury Festival, Totnes Word-Play festival, Swindon Literature Festival, Glastonbury Festival, St Donates Storytelling Festival in Wales, Cheltenham Literature Festival, Belfast, Dublin Puppet Festival, Battersea Festival, Brighton, Glasgow, Germany, Zimbabwe, Sweden.
In primary and secondary schools, colleges, village halls, theatres, barns, tents, sports-halls, outdoors…..

Reviews
"I consider the work of PuppetCraft to be of a very high quality and would recommend it without hesitation to any venue looking for exciting puppet-theatre". Dartington Arts.
"A fabulous show..... magnificent puppets". Bridport Arts Center.
"It was great!" Polka Theatre for Children, London.
"A simple story, beautifully staged to the evocative sounds of African xylophones and drums". TimeOut.
"The whole piece has wit and charm, to delight both children and adults" Daily Telegraph.
"Another cracking show, easily up to the same excellent standard. Do catch it if you can" Animations.
See also Comments page.

1990 - 1993 The Bewitched Baobab Tree
Large rod puppets retell an African legend, accompanied by a narrator/musician playing authentic African instruments. For Theatres, Arts Centers and Schools up to 400 seats.
Performed by 4 puppeteers and a musician. 55 performances.

1991 - 1995 What Next?!
Short studies exploring a variety of traditional and modern puppet forms. A two performer show for small scale venues and schools. Often linked to workshop sessions. For audiences ranging from primary school children to adults. 210 performances.

1994 - 1995 Sir Fool's Quest
A large scale production with live music and song, written by Adrian Mitchell for PuppetCraft. Five performers used hand puppets, water puppets, marionettes and giant dragons and 28 musical instruments. For family audiences.
103 performances in 75 venues, nationwide, and toured to Ireland and a puppet festival in Germany.

1996 - 2000. 2003 The Pied Piper
Based on Robert Browning's poem. A small scale show for audiences up to 180. Toured to primary schools, village halls in the South West and Arts centers nationally and to Ireland. Performed by two puppeteers, using glove and string puppets. Live voice with a recorded sound track of sounds and music composed by Ian Wellens.
250 performances.

1996 - 2001 Tristan and Isolde
A large scale production with live music and song, written by Nick Stimson for PuppetCraft. For older children, family audiences and adults. Music composed by Ian Wellens. Toured to 40 secondary schools in the South West and 60 public venues, nationwide and to Ireland.

1997 - 1998. The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
A two-hander for primary school, village hall and theatre touring for ages 4 years and over. Narrator/musician (Rowan Wylie, previously of Footsbarn Theatre) and a puppeteer. Live music. 180 performances.

1999 - 2002. The Mousehole Cat
Based on a well known children's book. Performed by Rachel Miller, musician and narrator, and John Roberts. Toured very successfully to over 200 schools, theatres, village halls.

2001 - 2003. The Amazing Adventures of Sindbad
Commissioned from Devon writer Patrick Cooper. A string puppet show that carries a "nomadic tent" for the audience to sit in. 106 shows.

2005 - 2007. Nobody Rides The Unicorn A magical, gentle show based on the book by Adrian Mitchell. Rod puppets, live music and video projection. Performed 120 shows. Seen by 15,390.

2006 - 2007. Perseus and the Gorgon's Head by Adrian Mitchell from the Greek Myth. 5 performers. Songs. Puppets. Live music on the bouzouki. Video projection. 44 shows seen by 5,878.

Workshops
Workshops have ranged from 1½ hours to 15 day residencies for primary and secondary school children, training days for teachers, theatre students and adults.

Each year for 10 years John has tutored a 6 to 12 week Puppetry module at Dartington College of Arts.

Each year for 24 years John has run professional wood carving courses in London and in Devon.

1980 -1990. John was Deputy Director of the Little Angel Puppet Theatre in London for 10 years, making, performing and coordination tours to international festivals.

1986 -1987. Won a Puppet Centre/Arts Council scholarship to study the secrets of Chinese puppetry in China at the Quanzhou Puppet Troupe.

1990. Designed, directed and made a contemporary puppet-music-drama -"The Bet" presented in London at the South Bank, Almeida Theatre, in Norwich and at the Huddersfield International Contemporary Music Festival. Music by Erika Fox, text by Elaine Feinstein. Performed by the Feinstein Quartet, a narrator and 2 puppeteers.

"Puppet theatre and contemporary music go together like silent movies and busking at the piano. The Bet premiered at the Purcell Room deserves to start a trend". Independent

1991. Made and directed a Christmas show for Norwich Puppet Theatre: "Hansel and Gretel".

1991. "The Dancer Hotoke". Designed, made and directed the title role life-size puppet for Covent Garden Royal Opera. Nominated for the Lawrence Olivier Awards for outstanding achievement.

1993. Zimbabwe: two month puppet project for British Council, working with local performers and musicians.

1994. Designed, made and directed puppets for David Wood's "Rupert and the Green Dragon" which toured nationally in large theatres.

In 1994 and 1995 went on invitation to Sweden to teach puppet design, making and performing to professional theatre practitioners.

1995. Consultant and maker for the film "The Adventures of Pinocchio" - carving a marionette used by Jim Henson's Creature Shop as a "model" for Pinocchio.

1996. Technical and lighting consultant for a puppet opera at the Haydn Festival in Austria, with Trevor Pinnock's English Concert orchestra and The Little Angel Theatre.

2000. Awarded a "Year of the Artist" grant to run residencies in rural villages, as part of the national program. Worked with Ian Wellens, composer.

2001. Took on an apprentice for 6 months, on a Europe funded project.

2001. Made a puppet caricature of a 10 year old, who had new trainers!

2002. Commissioned to make an interactive puppet, with moving head, arms, legs and interchangeable face parts, for a Hands-on-Art project.

2002. T.V. programme "Crafted" shown on Carlton, of John teaching two people to make puppets.

2003. Article in "China in focus" journal, on John's puppet research in China.

2003. Interview and photographs in "Devon Today" magazine.

2003. Carved puppets for Opera North's The Magic Flute.

2003. Helped make puppets for Brandenburg Theatre Orchestra project.

2003. Made a Chinese style Marionette on commission.

2004. Made more Magic Flute puppets for Opera North.

2004. Designed, made and directed puppets for "All Change!" at The Anvil, Basingstoke: a large scale music-theatre production.

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2004. Carved puppets for The Little Angel Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Venus and Adonis"- an adult puppet masque.

2006. Carved marionettes for the Little Angel Theatre's production of The Snow Queen.

2007. Directed "Give us a Hand!" for the Little Angel Theatre, written by Children's Laureate Michael Rosen.

A celebration of the puppetry of John Wright who founded Little Angel Theatre in 1961 and would have reached his 100th birthday this year.

"...impeccable show ... seamlessly glued together" The Stage

"a stimulating concoction ... and a fascinating showcase for the skills of these accomplished puppeteers" TimeOut