Little Angel Theatre Reveals 65th Anniversary Season Plans
The Islington puppet theatre will present HANSEL & GRETEL and PINOCCHIO among its milestone season offerings.
Little Angel Theatre will mark the start of its 65th anniversary with a heritage project, funded by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which aims to revive and preserve the future of marionette puppetry in the UK, an endangered craft with more than 600 years of history. Hoping to inspire both Little Angel audiences and future generations of puppet-makers, plans announced today include a brand-new production which will celebrate marionette craftsmanship and a wide-ranging programme of events, exhibitions and talks about this historic craft placed on The Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts in 2023.
The Little Angel Theatre Children's Puppet Festival returns from 28 July - 30 August 2026 for the fourth year and a highlight will be the world premiere of a new marionette production The Sorcerer's Apprentice, written, directed and designed by Little Angel Associate Director Olivier Hymans (22 - 30 August, ages 6+). This charming tale about imagination, responsibility and handling even a little magic with care, will make full use of Little Angel's historic double marionette bridge - a rare and specialist piece of performance infrastructure, and one of the only facilities of its kind in the UK. The bridge will be renovated for Little Angel's 65th anniversary and used as a long-term rehearsal and training capacity for future puppetry artists and companies.
A programme of talks, special events and adult puppetry courses will also celebrate Little Angel's 65-year history and raise awareness of marionette puppetry as an endangered heritage craft (further details are to be announced soon). Behind the scenes, Little Angel hopes to safeguard the future of this historical artform and nurture a new generation of artists by launching a training pipeline for makers and performers, passing rare skills directly from master practitioners to the next generation. The new traineeship will support two emerging puppet makers in carving, jointing and design skills, and six trainee puppeteers in specialist marionette manipulation.
The training will take place in a brand-new street-facing workshop in Islington currently being renovated as part of Little Angel's 65th anniversary with funding from the Wolfson Foundation. As well as serving as a flagship facility for puppetry training and education, the new space will be a powerhouse of creativity for artists to design and create Little Angel's acclaimed theatre productions. By taking a national leadership role in its preservation, Little Angel Theatre aims not only to futureproof the craft of marionette making but to reimagine it for future generations. The new puppet training will be embedded within the theatre's artistic programme, with participants contributing directly to Little Angel productions.
Little Angel Theatre Artistic Director Samantha Lane and Executive Director Peta Swindall said: “As we celebrate 65 years, we're not just looking back - we're looking ahead. Marionette puppetry is an endangered craft, and without action, it could be lost. This project, led by LAT's brilliant and highly skilled Associate Director, Oliver Hymans, is about securing its future: restoring our unique marionette bridge, creating ambitious new work, and giving a new generation the skills to keep this extraordinary artform alive.”
Little Angel Theatre Associate Director Oliver Hyman's added: “This feels like the culmination of over five years of dedication and advocacy for the much loved yet endangered craft of marionette making. Thanks to the support of many organisations who have invested in myself and Little Angel Theatre, including Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), Heritage Crafts, and now The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we can finally work towards bringing this artform to life on stage as well as safeguarding it for the next generation of makers and audiences alike.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Happy 65th anniversary to Little Angel Theatre! What a fitting moment to celebrate its plans to revive marionette puppetry and develop the heritage skills needed to sustain this endangered craft. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project gives people the opportunity to actively engage with a tradition of more than 600 years, strengthening their understanding of and connection to its heritage, and it's something we're proud to fund.”
Other productions announced today as part of Little Angel Theatre's Children's Puppet Festival are Tiny Planet (28th - 29th July, ages 5-11) - the planet's mysteries are uncovered with breathtaking puppetry and live folk songs merged with big 90s synth; At Sea ( 31 July - 2 August, ages 6 - 11) - an uplifting tale of a sailor's triumph over darkness with stunning projections and original music; Jack and the Beanstalk (sort of) (4th - 5th August, ages 4 - 11) - part air guitar workshop, part magical mess, a lo-fi, hi-tech, big-beat bonkers panto stuffed with songs and silliness; Club Origami (ages 2-5, 7th - 9th August) - an immersive and interactive dance show inviting family audiences to create, imagine and explore; and Puffling Percy ( 11th - 12th August, ages 3 - 8) - magical puppetry and a heartwarming story with music by Harriette Ashcroft (Mrs H and the Singalong Band).
Speaking about the line-up, festival curator and Little Angel Associate Director Oliver Hymans said: “This year's programme is a mix of everything I love about puppetry — bold new technology alongside anarchic comedy for kids, contemporary dance meets Origami, and shows that tell stories in beautifully visual ways. As ever, there's no theme — just the very best of the broad range of puppetry being produced in the UK today. Pick your faves; there's something for everyone.”
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