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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}{{Use British English|date=July 2018}}(File:Norwich Puppet Theatre.JPG|thumb|250px| Norwich Puppet Theatre)The Norwich Puppet Theatre is a nationally unique venue dedicated to puppetry. The theatre occupies the medieval church of St James the Less, Pockthorpe, a Grade 1 listed building, in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.WEB,weblink Norwich puppet theatre, www.visitnorwich.co.uk, 10 January 2020, It currently houses a 165-seat raked auditorium, a 50-seat studio, workshops, an exhibition gallery, a shop and a licensed bar. It is the only theatre in the eastern region of the UK which has a year-round programme of family-centred entertainment.WEB,weblink Norwich puppet theatre, www.fantasticforfamilies.com, 10 January 2020, It plays host to a variety of touring companies from the UK and overseas, and provides regular educational workshops for children and adults, as well as training opportunities for theatre practitioners.WEB,weblink The Venue, www.puppettheatre.co.uk, 10 September 2019, WEB,weblink Norwich Puppet theatre, www.visitnorfolk.co.uk, 10 January 2020, The theatre continues to be supported by Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council along with contributions from foundations including: Garfield Weston Foundation, Geoffrey Watling, Norwich Town Close Estate and the John Jarrold Trust.

History

The Norwich Puppet Theatre was founded in 1979 by Joan and Ray Da Silva (aka Ray Palma) as a permanent base for their touring company and was first opened as a public venue on 1 December 1980.WEB,weblink About Us, www.puppettheatre.co.uk, 10 January 2020, NEWS,weblink The New Norwich Puppet theatre, The Stage, 4 December 1980, They had run a puppet company touring overseas and had previously been based in Cambridgeshire.JOURNAL, Fenland's Magician, Monger, Garry, The Fens, Natasha Shiels, 2021, 37, 20,

30th anniversary

In 2010 the theatre celebrated its 30th anniversary with a range of events. An auction of celebrity decorated puppets took place on 30 November, including contributions from Rolf Harris, Heston Blumenthal, Michael Sheen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gary Lineker, Quentin Blake, Cath Kidston, Gok Wan, Terry Gilliam, Tony Robinson, Prunella Scales, Bernard Cribbins, Ian McKellen, Richard Briers and Simon Callow.An evening celebration and cabaret night was held on 4 December, weblink showcasing a selection of artists and performers from the theatre's 30-year history.NEWS,weblink Puppet theatre, www.news.bbc.co.uk, 29 October 2010, 10 January 2020,

Company

The theatre is also the base for the Norwich Puppet Theatre Company, which creates and presents its own productions, touring to schools and venues throughout the UK as well as international venues and festivals.WEB,weblink Norwich puppet theatre, www.nnfestival.org.uk, 10 January 2020, Following a period of hiatus due to the loss of artistic director in 2008, the company returned in 2010 with a new production in collaboration with the Indefinite Articles theatre company, entitled The Chalk Giants. WEB,weblink Creative Learning Programme, www.puppettheatre.co.uk, 10 January 2020, The company's work is informed by concepts and techniques from a range of cultures, and encourages the exchange of ideas by hosting companies and individuals of differing nationalities and by presenting its own work abroad. This has included performances in Canada, Finland, Spain, Mexico, and Slovenia.WEB,weblink Touring, www.puppettheatre.co.uk, 10 January 2020,

Artistic policy

The theatre aims to develop a public taste for the artform of puppet theatre rather than follow a fashion or present shows purely for commercial reasons, maintaining a dialogue with, and breaking down barriers between, different artforms particularly in relation to the combination of puppet theatre and live music. The theatre works with a wide range of techniques including rod, glove, shadow, objects, toys and masks, developing and exploring each technique individually and in combination with one another.WEB,weblink Creative Learning, www.puppettheatre.co.uk, 10 January 2020, WEB,weblink Norwich puppet theatre, www.housetheatre.org.uk, 10 January 2020,

Artistic directors

• Ray Da Silva 1979-1986WEB,weblink Ray Da Silva, www.wepa.unima.org, 26 April 2016, 10 January 2020,
• Barry Smith 1986-1991
• Luis Z.Boy 1991-2008
• Joy Haynes 2011-2016
• Colette Garrigan 2021
• Peter Beck 2022-WEB,weblink puppet theatre, Norwich Puppet Theatre, 8 February 2022,

Past Productions

• Pied Piper
• Thumbelina
• Red Riding Hood In collaboration with Peter O'Rourke.
• The Chalk Giants In collaboration with indefiniteArticles theatre company.
• The Tinderbox
• Princess and the Pea
• The Frog & The Princess In collaboration with Rene Baker.
• The Steadfast Tin SoldierWEB,weblink Past Productions, www.puppettheatre.co.uk, 10 January 2020,
• Alice in Wonderland
• Snowhite
• Legend of Thunderbird
• Treasure Island
• James and the Giant Peach
• Pinocchio

Further reading

• BOOK, An East Anglian Odyssey, Abbott, Chris, Friends of Wisbech & Fenland Museum, 2006, none,

References

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External links

{{Commons category-inline|Norwich Puppet Theatre}}

• Official website
• Detailed historical record about Norwich Puppet Theatre and St. James' Church from Historic England
• St. James Pockthorpe entry at the Norwich Historic Churches Trust.