New show Perseus is a wow!

Added 17th March 2006

Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head had its world premier on Saturday 11th March at a festival in Dorset.

It was a packed audience, who declared the show to be “a wow!… beautiful, funny, the best theatre we have seen for years…”
We have teamed up once again with renowned poet/playwright Adrian Mitchell who has adapted this Greek myth specially for PuppetCraft’s style. We are also working with talented composer Andrew Dickson who has produced songs and music, all performed live, to drive the drama on. We are so lucky to have had a painting made for the show by one of the world’s great illustrators – Ralph Steadman.
ePerseus and the Gorgon's Head

The Gorgon begins and the Unicorn takes flight

Added 16th October 2005

Work has started on “Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head” with Adrian Mitchell working on the first draft of the script, while Andrew Dickson composes the dozen or so songs, while John Roberts is designing and scheming how to make the most of the possibilities of this epic story. Musicians, puppeteers, writer and composer will try out the show during November, using mockup puppets and set, to test how it is all coming together. The premier will be in March 2006.
Meanwhile… “Nobody Rides The Unicorn” is touring to villages, theatres and schools – to wonderful audience response:
“A lovely gentle story which captivated the children’s imagination.”
” Superb, simply wonderful. Fantastic puppetry and sound effects”
“Very poetic, Very professional, Excellent production.”
” Fantastic. Intriguing sets. Wonderful puppets and incredible performers. An enchanting and magical experience.”

Unicorn Tour
See photos of a week of touring.

Dedicated Puppet Maker!

Added 18th August 2005
Michael Spurgeon has been coming to PuppetCraft Carving Courses run by John Roberts for many years…

This year was his 10th PuppetCraft course!!!!

“One of the most enjoyable and helpful I have attended. There was a relaxed atmosphere and everyone was encouraged to contribute.
Challenging and inspirational!!.”
Over the years Michael has made a fantastic array of wooden puppets, each year adding some new element of complexity or innovation.

Michael Spurgeon

Premier of New Show: Nobody Rides the Unicorn

Added 5th July 2005

Our new show “Nobody Rides The Unicorn” had its first performance at a sold-out show at Beaminster Festival on 26th June… and the response from organisers and audience has been great. They loved the combination of puppetry made by a team of puppeteers, sumptuous looking set by Sue Field and a rich sound world created by Rachel Miller’s magic on acoustic instruments and use of the latest digital sound sampling technology.
The authors Adrian Mitchell and Sasha Mitchell were there, along with composer Andrew Dickson and the illustrator of the book that inspired this project, Stephen Lambert.
An extract of the show was performed today for the Arts Council ArtsMark award ceremony.

Nobody Rides the Unicorn
See COMMENTS page for people’s reaction to the show.

Forkbeard Course

Added 14th May 2005

Our director treated himself to an amazing week at Forkbeard Fantasy,
learning new techniques, meeting other obsessed artists and eating wonderful food.
Work was started on filming a short sequence for the Unicorn project, animation
was tried and vacuum forming was encountered for the first time.
Forkbeard Fantasy
Photo is of Ed, Forkbeard’s technician…. with lots of cables!

Scotland tour

Added 14th April 2005

PuppetCraft toured to Scotland to take part in the 21st year of the Scottish Puppet Animation Festival.
We performed “The Amazing Adventures of Sindbad” to amazed audiences in cities,
towns and villages and always had a warm reception.
SindbadScotland

A major grant for new productions from the Arts Council

Added 3rd February 2005

A major grant for new productions.

The Arts Council England, South West has awarded a substantial grant to PuppetCraft to make and tour two new productions.

A team of craftsmen and women will be working for two years to bring the new shows to villages, schools, theatres and festivals throughout the South West of England.
PuppetCraft has teamed up again with playwright/poet Adrian Mitchell to write scripts for both shows.
Adrian tells stories like no other. “He is a joker, a lyrics writer, a word-spinner… a man of passion and imagination.” His work marries perfectly with the inventive possibilities of puppetry.
PuppetCraft and Adrian have worked together before with great success.

Nobody Rides The Unicorn.” A small-scale show for young audiences of 4 to 11 year olds and families. Based on the book by Adrian Mitchell.
The Unicorn is a deep-rooted British myth that has been turned into a “beautifully crafted tale of naïve, innocent good and cynical, selfish evil – a classic of modern fiction.”
The gorgeous illustrations by Stephen Lambert. in the book will form the basis of the show’s design.

Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head.” A retelling of this Greek legend, for family audiences including adults.
A large-scale puppet production: with many puppet forms, video projection and live music.