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.[2] 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.[3][4]
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.[5][6] They had run a puppet company touring overseas and had previously been based in Cambridgeshire.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10]
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.[11]
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.[12][13]