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 I listed building, in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
It currently houses a 150-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. 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.
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. They had run a puppet company touring overseas and had previously been based in Cambridgeshire. Until mid 2026 broadcaster and author Zeb Soanes, and artist and illustrator James Mayhew, were patrons of the theatre. They resigned in protest at the actions of the board of trustees, particularly the Chair and Vice Chair, towards operational staff and the way the board was treating the theatre in general, including the bullying of staff and gross financial mismanagement.
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 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 were held on 4 December, (https://vimeo.com/29906760) showcasing a selection of artists and performers from the theatre's 30-year history.
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. Following a period of hiatus due to the loss of its 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.
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.
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.
Artistic directors Ray Da Silva 1979-1986 Barry Smith 1986-1991 Luis Z.Boy 1991-2008 Joy Haynes 2011-2016 Colette Garrigan 2021 Peter Beck 2022-2026
As of June 2026 the theatre has no operational staff.
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 Soldier Alice in Wonderland Snowhite Legend of Thunderbird Treasure Island James and the Giant Peach Pinocchio Stel and Wes Fight the Flood
Further reading
References
External links
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.