Museum with 1,500 puppets on show set to open

The project is the brainchild of former theatre designer John Parkinson

A museum exhibiting 1,500 puppets from around the world which will be the only one of its kind in the country is to open in the autumn.

Upfront puppet museum near Penrith, Cumbria, has been 40 years in the making and is the brainchild of former theatre designer John Parkinson.

Now aged 70, he came up with the idea after being treated for lymphatic cancer at the age of 30.

Mr Parkinson said it was a "dream" he never thought he would achieve.

"I made a long list about my family and all that stuff and at the end of it, for me, I thought I would love to build a puppet theatre," he said.

The museum is housed alongside a dedicated puppet theatre, of which there are only four in the country.

A summer production of Jack and the Beanstalk opens this week in time for the summer holidays

Children are invited to play with some of the puppets and perform in miniature toy theatres in the museum.

Puppets on show range from the traditional British Punch and Judy characters to Indonesian rod puppets called Wayang Golek.

Taking centre stage is the Stan Parker collection of trick circus puppets, which is also the largest of its kind in England.

More than 100 of his clowns, jugglers, acrobats and animals were saved thanks to Heritage Lottery funding.

The late Stan Parker was a puppet master and maker from Carlisle famous for Stanelli’s Super Circus, which he performed all over the world.

There are a variety of puppets from all over the world

Since acquiring the collection in 2004, Upfront Theatre has continued to put on the miniature circus performances of Stan Parker.

Mr Parkinson said: "The specialism of this collection is that they are all marionettes and each of them does a special thing with special stringing which makes them unique.

"We can learn so much from them and pass it on to future generations of puppeteers."

John Parkinson came up with the idea of the puppet museum 40 years ago

The museum is part of the Upfront Gallery, a venue built up over 25 years by Mr Parkinson and his wife, former teacher Elaine.

Mr Parkinson said puppets allowed puppeteers to tell unique stories.

"Audiences believe in them, engage with them. Children are fascinated by them. We can tell all stories over and over again," he said.

Mrs Parkinson said the venture was a great way to spend retirement.

“It’s totally bonkers," she said.

"We have to devise the shows, make the scenery, make the puppets, make the costumes, work the puppets, do the voices.

"We are all working together as one big crazy happy family."