Upfront Gallery Puppet Theatre - Previous Productions

Jack and the Beanstalk will introduce children to Daisy the cow, a strange violin playing elf, a magic transformation scene as the beanstalk grows, a very scary giant and many other special effects. Combined with a musical score based on traditional English folk tunes. Performance days are: March 29th & 31st. April 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th & 14th. Sundays and Easter Monday at 2pm only. Wednesdays & Fridays at 1pm & 3:30pm. Suitable for ages 3 to 90. Young children must be accompanied by an adult All tickets £8.00 Family ticket £28 (2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children). Advance booking is recommended. Please telephone 017684 84538 to book and pay by card. Please see further information for photos of the show.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PLANNED CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION OF "THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN" HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL EASTER. COMPLETING OUR NEW 128 SEAT PUPPET THEATRE BUILDING HAS LEFT US WITH TOO LITTLE TIME TO PRODUCE THE NEW SHOW TO OUR USUAL STANDARDS. SO ..........we will be performing "Stanelli's Super Circus" IN THE NEW THEATRE. December 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 28, 30 & 31st at 1:pm & 3:30pm plus January 2nd & 3rd at 1pm only. Roll up! roll up! roll up! for Stanelli’s Super Circus – a full puppet circus in miniature. This is an amazing experience not to be missed, suitable for all ages. The unique collection of trick circus marionettes was saved for the nation by a Heritage Lottery Grant. It is one of the largest and most complete puppet circus’s in Europe.You will see clowns, jugglers, acrobats, tight-rope walker, trapeze artist,wild animals and Zippo the human puppet cannon ball. This is a truly traditional circus in every way and has been performed at international puppet festivals in Poland, Austria and Skipton.

A traditional marionette performance, based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen. A nightingale sings and charms the Emperor, until a mechanical bird takes its place. When the mechanical bird explodes, the real nightingale returns to sing on its own terms. It is free and sings of the beauty that it sees in the natural world in which it lives. This is a beautiful and lyrical production with Chinese flute music by Yue Guo. All tickets £6.00 (advance booking advised). Tel.017684 84538 to check availability, book and pay by card. Performances are April 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13 & 15th (Wednesdays and Fridays at 1pm & 3:30pm. Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday at 2pm only). Please note that as we have started to build our new puppet theatre, this production will take place at Skelton Village Hall - a five minute drive from the Gallery. Directions: Go past the gallery on the B5305 towards Wigton and take the first left turning to Skelton. Follow the road into the village and the village hall and carpark are on your right before you get to the pub. PLEASE NOTE EASTER SUNDAYS SHOW AT 2PM IS FULL, SO THERE WILL BE AN EXTRA SHOW AT 11:30AM