Category Archives: Suitcase Theatre

Masquepony – Cartmel and More Bridlington Puppet Workshop

Posted on by Collette Knowles
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You may remember from last week I mentioned bumping into Jeremy Shine of Manchester International Arts at the train station.  Well he mentioned that he might have some work for me and now it’s definite that I’ll be performing “Edward Lear’s Nonsense” at his fabulous new street theatre festival “Masquepony” in Cartmel, the Lake District.  It is believed to be the first UK street arts festival with on site camping!

We were also invited to camp the day before and see some of the other shows, and I lost no time in acquiring a decent tent.  The pop-up tent we borrowed to camp in the Netherlands after the Toy Theatre festival was really only suitable for one, as my husband Tim and I were constantly sliding into the sides of the tent, thus letting the water in, plus there being virtually no ventilation if it was raining and you closed the window flap!  The one I’ve ordered is a 3 man tent, (and as such is suitable for two really) and has a porch to put shoes and other stuff that you don’t want in your sleeping area.

The venue is only an hours drive from where we live, but it will be fun to camp and to check out what other people are doing.

I also have some lovely photo’s taken at the Bay primary school workshop in Bridlington, and their teacher has promised me photos of the finished puppets that they’ve been working on soon!

200 years of English Nonsense!…….and here’s a cat in a suit.

Posted on by Collette Knowles
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Once again, lots happening this week.  I have been sticking my fingers into as many pies as I can get my hands on.

A couple of developments on the street theatre side!  My shadow suitcase shows are now on the “continental drifts” database and I shall be auditioning for Pif-Paf the week after next, (all being well).  They are doing a remarkable interactive show about bees!  More on that after the audition.

I also discovered that fortuitously enough it is Edward Lear’s Bicentenary this year!  Who would have thought that I would make an Edward Lear show, just because I like him, just in time for his 200th Anniversary?  Let me know if you’re doing an Edward Lear event this year and would like my show to be there!  I can do themed workshops too!  Here’s a link to our “Edward Lear’s Nonsense” show page if you want to find out more.

The workshop with the Bay Primary, Bridlington is coming up next Thursday.  We’ll be making puppets to go with a “Lost in the Toy Museum” theme.  This is a book the children have been reading.  In my last post, I showed a picture of the basic undecorated string puppet.  Now here’s a decorated example puppet for your delectation and delight!  We’ll be making hand puppets too, and I shall be doing an example of that soon as well.

A puppet based on a character from "Lost in the Toy Museum"