'Pop Up Palladium' Launches To Support Puppeteers Across The Arts Industry

A brand-new virtual puppet theatre has arrived on our screens, with acts announced for the second show on Friday 18th September at 8pm. Tickets are now on sale via this link.

Running on Zoom, The Pop-Up Palladium will whisk audiences away from the doom and gloom on a magical mystery tour of nostalgic laughter and a trip into the otherworldly. Hosted by Welsh puppeteer Emily Morus-Jones, each show will consist of an eclectic selection of different types of puppetry showcasing individual performances, followed by exclusive interviews. Enjoy the hilarity and beauty of puppetry from the comfort of your own home while getting an in-depth look behind the scenes into the full spectrum of puppetry in Theatre, TV and film.

Included in the second show are accomplished puppeteers including The Lips by Puppets with Guts, Toybox with Kamarai Romeo, BGT's Patsy May, Mademoiselle Lychee with Aya Nakamura and BAFTA and Emmy winning Director Julian Kemp. Further acts for future shows are yet to be announced.

The Pop-up Palladium host and puppeteer Emily Morus-Jones said: "My hope is that this event will go some way to keeping struggling performers afloat, give them a bit of hope and inspiration for the future, and help audiences to discover what a wonderful, broad church the world of puppetry really is."

With theatres having been left out in the cold by lockdown easing, and TV productions being slower to start up, It has been an extremely difficult time for puppeteers who usually work in close proximity. The Pop-Up Palladium was conceived as a way to help the industry across the whole spectrum of puppetry showcase their work and learn about the different approaches to this rich and varied art form.

Funds raised will be split between the puppeteers performing, utilising the online platform to support artists through these challenging times while Theatres and TV productions are just getting back on their feet.

The Pop-Up Palladium has been funded by The Arts Council Wales in addition to being sponsored by The Curious School Of Puppetry and Talk To The Hand Puppets.