Three generations of the Middleton family have delighted visitors with their floating puppet theatre. Miranda Jessop goes below deck at Richmond...
The colourful red and yellow awning of the Puppet Theatre Barge is a familiar sight at Richmond riverside during the summer months and today I am crossing the gangplank to meet puppeteer, Stan Middleton. Once onboard, I head down the steps into the snug bar area where refreshments are served and a ship’s bell is rung to signal the beginning of each performance.
Ducking slightly, Stan leads me along a narrow corridor which opens out into the main auditorium. Consisting of rows of tiered bench seats facing the stage, I am amazed to see just how big the theatre is. There is no puppetry this morning as rehearsals are still in progress but, surrounded by retired marionettes hanging from the walls around me, I already feel as if I have been transported into another world.
The Puppet Theatre Barge was established in 1982 by Stan’s grandparents, Gren and Juliet Middleton.
“They already had their own touring puppet company but wanted somewhere permanent. They couldn’t find anywhere affordable so they started looking at boats. At the time, the Thames lighters [the flat-bottomed tugs used to move passengers and freight] had been decommissioned because the docks were closing and they were given this boat for free by the boatyard on the understanding that all the conversion work was done there.”
It took two years to convert it into a puppet theatre with an audience capacity of up to 50 people. Stan’s grandparents originally moored at Camden Lock and travelled up the Grand Union Canal and, after a few years, adventured along the Thames to Henley, Marlow, Windsor and Richmond.
As the years ticked by, Stan’s parents also became involved with the Puppet Theatre Barge and Stan himself has been on board ever since he was a baby.
“I would always play with the puppets as a child and my grandmother taught me how to operate them. When I was nine years old, I was allowed to take part in one of the shows. I had a very small role of a little bird but I took it very seriously and I have been performing as a puppeteer ever since.”
Since 1991, the Puppet Theatre Barge has been permanently moored at Little Venice and every summer it travels to Richmond for three months.
“We love being in Richmond; the audiences are so supportive. People who came when they were little are now bringing their own children. One year, we even had Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt with their family.”
As Stan explains, it is no mean feat steering the barge to Richmond from Little Venice: “It takes about 12 hours to travel along Regent’s Canal to Limehouse; we have to go very slowly because the boat has a very deep bottom. And then, from there, it is quite the opposite; we go shooting up the Thames to Richmond with the tide in about four hours; it all has to be very carefully planned out.”
Following the success of its opening production this summer, there are two more shows to choose from while the Puppet Theatre Barge is moored up in Richmond where it will be until the beginning of October. For ages three and above, The Insect Circus immerses children in the strange and beautiful world of beetles, grasshoppers, wasps and dragonflies while the adult production of Spirit takes the audience on a captivating journey of ordinary people’s other-worldly experiences.
“There are so many preconceptions about puppetry, mainly due to Punch and Judy but our shows are completely different. Our work is very visual and can be quite poetic; my grandfather trained as a lighting cameraman and the lighting is as important to us as the puppetry.”
I am intrigued to hear that they make most of the puppets themselves and many of the original puppets are still in use.
“Some of them are nearly 40 years old; we usually carve them out of lime wood and the joints are often made of leather.”
Run as a charity promoting the art of puppetry, this is very much a family affair. As well as Stan’s parents and brother, Gren and Juliet are still involved and their vision of 40 years ago, still stands today.
“They created this incredibly unique and magical theatre. The experience begins the minute people set foot on the gangplank and climb aboard; you descend below the water line and leave the real world behind.”
So head on down to Richmond riverside and catch a show while you can; children and adults alike are in for a real treat.
The Puppet Theatre Barge is located opposite Terrace Gardens, near 87 Petersham Road, Richmond TW10 6UT; puppetbarge.com or 020 7249 6876; until October 5.
