Handspring Puppet Company News

Rehearsal photos have been released for the highly anticipated return of critically acclaimed musical THE WICKER HUSBAND. 

Full casting has been announced for the return of critically acclaimed musical THE WICKER HUSBAND.

Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi received rave reviews when it debuted at Sheffield’s Crucible theatre back in 2019. The pandemic delayed the West End run, but it has now finally opened at the Wyndham’s theatre and goodness, it was worth the wait!

The Walk dramatised the stories of refugee children by means of a 3.5-metre-high puppet, Little Amal, who traveled from the Syrian border through Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and France in search of her mother.

Arts, culture and humanitarian organisations across London are coming together to welcome Little Amal when she visits the capital from 22 – 25 October as part of The Walk, a travelling festival of hope created by Good Chance Theatre and Handspring Puppet Company.

From the arrival in the city of Little Amal, a giant puppet who is travelling 8,000km in support of refugees, to a celebration of Sound System Culture, more events have been announced and will form part of the year-long festival that reflects Coventry as a diverse, modern city, with hundreds of ways for citizens and visitors to take part. 

The 3.5m puppet of a 9-year-old Syrian refugee girl started her journey in Gaziantep, Turkey. Many streets in the ancient heart of the city were illuminated by lanterns creating a path for Little Amal to follow to reach a special concert for her at Gaziantep Castle.

Tickets for all new and rescheduled shows will be going on sale to Centre Stage Members at 10am on Saturday 10 July and on general sale at 10am on Saturday 17 July. Learn more here!

Manchester International Festival (MIF), returns with a vibrant programme of original new work from across the spectrum of visual and performing arts and music by artists from over 20 countries.

It all started when Roxy’s Downtown was looking for ways to bring live theatre to our audiences during a global pandemic. We reached out to several different organizations, both nationally and internationally and an alliance was born. We are so happy to be bringing the following performances to you on our state-of-the-art projection system inside Roxy’s Downtown. With state-of-the-art filming techniques, tailored to every play, we bring you each performance as it happens, in all its glory. From close-ups that capture every flicker of emotion, to sweeping wide shots of the stage. There will be thousands of other people all around the world watching along with you. Sharing every gasp, every laugh, every dramatic moment. This is theatre for everyone. Call (316) 265-4400 to purchase tickets, or click here to purchase online.

Adapted for stage by Lara Foot and in collaboration with Handspring Puppet Company, Nobel Prize-winning author JM Coetzee’s LIFE AND TIMES OF MICHAEL K opens for a special preview season next month at Baxter Theatre Centre. Letting us in on their process of working with puppetry for the past four decades, Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler of Handspring chat with BroadwayWorld.

The Baxter Theatre Centre has announced its most ambitious and exciting production in recent years, the world premiere of Nobel Prize-winning author JM Coetzee's Life and Times of Michael K, adapted for the stage by Lara Foot, in collaboration with the Handspring Puppet Company.

The Walk is a 4 month long 8,000 km journey by a 3.5m puppet of a 9-year-old Syrian refugee girl called Little Amal from the Syrian-Turkey border to the UK in search of her mother. 

Six years since Good Chance built the first 'Theatre of Hope' in the Calais “Jungle” camp and began its ground-breaking international work with artists from refugee backgrounds, the award-winning charity is delighted to announce that Palestinian theatre-maker and playwright, Amir Nizar Zuabi, is to become its new Artistic Director succeeding founders and playwrights, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson.

Cinemas across the country will offer virtual events where musicals, exhibitions, and more will be streamed beginning March 17. BY Experience has announced the Virtual Event Cinema initiative, which includes musicals such as Kinky Boots, War Horse, and 42nd Street.

Eighth Blackbird will continue their Winter 2021 Chicago Artists Workshop (CAW) live streamed event series with puppeteer Tom Lee: “The Great Zodiac Animal Race” 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. Tickets are $20 (suggested) per household.

The Ridgefield Playhouse is back, bringing award-winning theater to the big screen. London's National Theatre in HD will return with three encore in HD screenings as part of the Teed & Brown Broadway & Cabaret Series. 

The National Theatre's production of War Horse is headed back to cinemas! The run kicks off on Wednesday, November 11, in honor of Remembrance Day.

Taking place between April-July 2021, The Walk will be a global public art event that will see a 3.5m tall puppet called Amal travelling 8000km across Turkey and Europe to highlight the plight of refugee children.

Manchester International Festival (MIF) announces its first event for the 2021 edition of the Festival (1-18 July 2021), with The Walk, the culmination of the extraordinary journey from Gaziantep in Turkey to Manchester of nine-year-old refugee girl, Little Amal in the form of a giant living artwork.