Little Angel Children’s Puppet Festival reveals 2025 programme

The Little Angel Theatre will hold the Children’s Puppet Festival again this August.

Celebrating the art of puppetry in all of its forms, this year’s festival has inventive and imaginative work for all age groups.

Two of the shows will blend music and puppetry: Shoe Baby will feature music from Tom Gray (of Gomez fame), while Tales From The Lighthouse has original music performed by Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne.

Marionette puppetry, which was added to the Red List of Endangered Crafts in 2023, will feature in a jazz-inspired musical show, The Pigeon and the Peacock. Angel Theatre’s in-house puppet design trainee will present their first show, The Tortoise and the Firefly, a fresh take on African folk tales.

Speaking of puppetry making, Escape from the Bubble Tub breaks boundaries. Meanwhile, Edinburgh Fringe Festival hit show The Listies Make You LOL will entertain audiences.

More classic storytelling also features, with The Elves and the Showmaker and the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock.

In addition to the programmed shows, Little Angel will host family and adult activities throughout the month. These include craft workshops, puppet-making courses, and an introduction to puppetry.

The following month, Little Angel will open its doors for its Open House Festival.

Little Angel associate director and curator of the Children’s Puppet Festival, Oliver Hymans, said: “The Little Angel Theatre’s Children’s Puppetry Festival is a true celebration of the incredible diversity of puppet theatre. From the delicate artistry of marionettes to the playful inventiveness of object theatre, alongside laugh-out-loud comedy and live music, the festival offers a magical experience for audiences of all ages. This year, we’re especially proud to support a new graduate show from our design trainee, brought to life with the guidance of the LAT creative team – showcasing the next generation of puppet makers and theatre designers.”

The theatre’s artistic director, Samantha Lane, and executive director, Peta Swindall, added: “Now in its third year, the Children’s Puppet Festival reflects everything we stand for at Little Angel Theatre—playful creativity, artistic excellence, and meaningful connection with families and communities. This year’s programme shines a spotlight on emerging talent, global storytelling traditions, and the sheer joy of puppetry in all its forms. We’re incredibly proud to welcome audiences of all ages to experience the wonder, the laughter, and the craft that makes this festival so special.”

For more details and dates, visit the Little Angel website.