Sea Show Squash Box Theatre

“The best puppet show for schools that I have ever seen! Squashbox Theatre transported us to a magical world of salty sea dogs, crazy creatures and laughter - the children were totally absorbed. Craig’s interaction with children and staff was brilliant, and if this were not enough he also put on a fantastic workshop afterwards.”
Geoff Smith, Head Teacher, Kehelland School

"A fascinating, informative and very funny show! Children from the nursery to Year 6 sat captivated for the entire performance, and were totally spellbound by the amazing variety of characters and musical talent of Craig. The messages behind the story were also very clear. This is a show not to be missed!"
Chris Mottram, Class Teacher, Ludgvan School

“Craig’s excellently crafted and imaginative puppets had children and adults rolling on the floor with laughter. The Sea Show fits in perfectly with A Sense Of Place, and can be used as an exciting tool to support the national Curriculum for English, Geography, History, Art and Design.”
Abigail Squibb, Class Teacher, Marazion School

"His puppets told us not to put litter on the beach, and always listen to the lifeguards" Harrison, 5

"We had great fun watching the sea show and making shadow puppets to tell stories - just watch out for the seagull!" Emma, 10

"The puppet workshop was brilliant. I loved turning my drawing into a puppet and using it for our own show." Jacob, 10

The Sea Show celebrates Cornwall’s unique relationship with the ocean using puppets, narration and live music. It is a quirky mix of storytelling, puppet show, natural history programme and cabaret, with tall tales, comedy characters, fascinating facts, songs, superstitions, recipes, remedies, rhymes and riddles.

		See salty sea-dog Captain Pemburthy tell tall stories of life on the ocean waves...
		Hear Morwenna the ‘beautiful’ mermaid moan about pollution and tourists...
		Marvel at Ruan the reformed seagull as he teaches us about recycling and picking up litter...
		Gasp at talking crabs, singing pilchards, dancing sea serpents and so much more!

I use several types of puppet including glove puppets, larger ‘muppet’ style character puppets and shadow puppets. I play with language, narrative and character to create a children’s show that is stimulating, engaging and thought-provoking.

The show is linked together by a narrator who tells stories, shares amazing facts and sings songs, accompanied by his trusty squeeze-box.

The Sea Show is funded by
The Arts Council England.


	I would also like to thank Emma Rice and Kneehigh Theatre for their support.

Cornwall has more coastline than any other county, and nowhere within its borders is more than 20 miles from the sea. The sea is central to Cornwall’s culture, economics and history, and is the source of tales, folklore and songs. The Sea Show celebrates all these aspects of the sea and shore.

		Traditional Cornish tales and folklore of the sea.
		Songs of the sea - both traditional and original
		Amazing facts about the sea and shore.
		Stories of people and the sea: fishing, smuggling, shipwrecks and tourism.
		Underlying themes of conservation, care for the environment and sea safety.

I will use different narrative styles and voices during the show, and will use colourful and descriptive language, imagery, metaphor, alliteration, song, rhyme, dialect, puns and word-play.

The Sea Show’s themes will be cross-curricular, encompassing:

		English / literacy (telling stories, speaking & listening)
		Science (animal and plant life, conservation, pollution)
		Art & design (making puppets)
		Geography & History (Cornwall / A Sense of Place)
		Citizenship (social responsibility, care for the environment, recycling, littering)
		Music
		Creativity

I hope that children watching the show will learn about the sea’s importance to their local community, and appreciate its value as a natural habitat that needs to be both respected and protected.

For many children the experience of seeing a live performance in their school is invaluable, especially for those whose access to the arts is limited. The Sea Show will give pupils a chance to see a small-scale, intimate performance that is thought-provoking, surprising and funny, and which uses traditional skills in an innovative way.

I want to show children in this isolated corner of south west Britain that their history, culture and environment is worth celebrating.

I am also able to offer practical workshops based around puppetry, drama and storytelling. Find out more here.

		To create a high-quality show for children of 5-11 years
		To introduce the topic of ‘Cornwall and The Sea’ for schools to explore further within the curriculum
		To promote the arts of puppetry and storytelling through performance and workshops

After several years of touring theatre shows nationally, I would like to reconnect with Cornwall and with my roots as a storyteller, puppeteer and musician. This project will show that the traditional arts of puppetry and storytelling can have an exciting, relevant and contemporary edge. It will also enable me to share these skills with teachers and pupils during practical workshops that can be tailored to each school’s needs.

The Sea Show is one hour long and is performed by one person.
I require a space of 3x3 metres.
I require access to a standard power socket.
No special lighting is required.

The Sea Show is available to book now!
You can book The Sea Show on its own, or as a package with workshops.
Half day - show + workshop session
Full day - show + 2 workshop sessions