Vibrant puppet festival is a Boo-ty
AROUND 1,000 people turned out for the Horse and Bamboo Theatre’s Puppet Festival.
Youngsters and adults enjoyed a host of spectacular shows and events, highlights including Fetch Theatre’s Clapperbox, an interactive experience where participants put on headphones and were given instructions to perform scenes from blockbuster movies such as Titanic. Those watching them also donned headphones to listen to the films’ soundtracks.
The theatre’s producer Esther Ferry-Kennington said: “Clapperbox was really exciting and was packed all day! We were also very lucky with the shows we had - the Man Who Planted Trees and The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean - we never expected to get international shows like this at the Boo.”
The festival also showcased Theatre For One performances, staged by those who attended the theatre’s three week puppetry workshops.
Performances featured a singing hamburger, an artist painting audience members’ pictures and bears travelling in space.
There was also a parade led by the Bamboozle band. Esther said: “The parade was hilarious, with children as young as 18 months right up to grandparents taking part - about 300 people in total.”
And to top off the fun visitors tucked into homemade cakes including a pistachio and white chocolate creation by the chair of the theatre’s board, Mich Noquet. Esther added: “It felt really special this year. It’s a year since the theatre was refurbished and we feel really settled now. We’ve done a lot of work in Haslingden with the Asian community and it was lovely to see people from all the communities that surround us enjoying the event.”