Welcome!
Who Am I?
Glad you asked. I am an experienced actor, puppeteer and musician based in Penzance. I have a friendly and informal performance style, deft improvisational skills and a gently subversive sense of humour - which delights adults as well as children.
From 1999 - 2017 I was a member of Cornwall’s renowned Kneehigh Theatre, performing in major national and international tours such as Tristan & Yseult, Cymbeline, Don John, A Matter Of Life And Death and The Bacchae, as well as small-scale village hall shows, including directing and acting in Journey To The Centre Of The Earth.
Last word...
I am currently a member of The Minack Theatre Company, recently appearing in The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, The Railway Children and The Secret Garden.
I also appeared in Alaska from Blackfish Theatre, One Darke Night from o-region theatre, the film Tin (dir. Bill Scott) and the short Cornish language films An Jowl Yn Agas Kegin (dir.Brett Harvey) and KoninHa Pryv (dir. Laura Hardman). I have also created and directed several theatre performances for The Eden Project, Cornwall.
I spent many years as a professional street performer, appearing at The Millennium Dome, Glastonbury Festival, Manchester Street Arts Festival, Leeds Streets Ahead, Cowes Week Isle of Wight and festivals in Holland, Belgium and the USA.
My aim with Squashbox Theatre is to create shows that are funny, friendly, surprising, inspiring, unusual, informative (and a little bit mischievous!), and which use traditional puppetry and storytelling skills in an exciting and innovative way. (And did I mention funny?)
All Squashbox performances celebrate nature, science, generosity, tolerance and diversity, employing a wholly secular view of this astounding and beautiful world around us.
Hello there!
Welcome to the ingenious, ridiculous, inspiring, surprising, comical, musical, educational, ecological world of Squashbox Theatre.
My name is Craig Johnson and I am a performer, musician and puppeteer living in Penzance, Cornwall.
As a solo artist I perform under the name Squashbox Theatre, creating marvellous, quirky and inventive shows incorporating puppetry, storytelling, natural history, live music and comedy.
I created Squashbox Theatre in 2007 with the aim of providing quality entertainment for children and families in Cornwall. Since then my shows (The Sea Show, Skillywidden, Stones And Bones, Curious Creatures, Tales from the Trees, Myths and Monsters, The Christmassy Christmas Show, Shivers and Shadows and Universarama!) have been performed at schools, theatres, festivals and events from Cornwall to Kendal and from Exeter to Essex, including TEN sell-out summer seasons at the famous Minack Theatre near Land’s End.
Book now for your theatre, arts centre, school, festival, village hall or event!
“Johnson's natural rapport and good humoured fun with the young people make this an absolute celebration of all that is good about theatre for children.”
Petra Schofield, Whatsonstage.com
"Craig's success lies in the fact that he talks to, rather than at, his young audience while involving them in the action as far as he possibly can, and he does it all with a huge sense of joy and fun that is as inspiring as it is infectious. An engaging entertainer to be treasured."
Frank Ruhrmund, The Cornishman newspaper
"Craig Johnson is a consummate actor of rare skills. Totally at ease with his audience - adult and child alike - he combines an innate understanding and delight in storytelling with fantastic comic and musical skill."
Mike Shepherd, Founder and Company Director Kneehigh Theatre
"Just the right balance of humour, fun, wit and education. Keep up the excellent work, you are a true talent and the kids really appreciate you"
Audience feedback, Minack Theatre
News
Summer News
2022 SUMMER PERFORMANCE DATES BELOW!!!
'Squashbox Songs'
Volume Two is here:
'MORE Squashbox Songs!'
FINALLY, IT'S HERE! The long-awaited second volume of songs and music from Squashbox Theatre!
Seven amazing tracks, including 'The Gods of Ancient Greece' from Myths and Monsters, 'Quietly Saving the World' from Tales from the Trees and 'Shiver and Scream' from my Halloween show Shivers and Shadows.
Plus another four never-heard-before tracks designed to get you tapping your toes and humming along.
Download the whole EP for only £6.00 here
Summer Dates 2022
Mon 25th July 4pm - Stones and Bones
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/performances_modal/96201
Weds 27th July 4pm - Stones and Bones
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/performances_modal/96201
Fri 29th July 2pm & 4pm - The Sea Show
Watermans Arts Centre, Brentford, London
https://www.watermans.org.uk/events/the-sea-show-4-yrs-and-families/
Sat 30th July 11am & 2pm - Myths and Monsters
Lighthouse Arts Centre, Poole, Dorset
https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/whats-on/2022/squashbox-theatre-myths-and-monsters/
Sun 31st July 2.30pm - The Sea Show
Killacourt, Newquay, Cornwall
https://www.visitnewquay.org/whats-on/searchresults?sr=1&rd=on&anydate=yes
Mon 1st Aug 4pm - Stones and Bones
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/performances_modal/96201
Weds 3rd Aug 4pm - Stones and Bones
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/performances_modal/96201
Thurs 4th Aug 2pm - Curious Creatures
Penlee Park Open Air Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/curious-creatures/
Mon 8th Aug 4pm - Stones and Bones
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/performances_modal/96201
Tues 9th Aug 2pm - Curious Creatures
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall
https://tickets.sterts.co.uk/sales/genres/family/curious-creatures---squashbox-/ticket
Weds 10th Aug 4pm - Stones and Bones
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/performances_modal/96201
Fri 12th Aug 2pm - The Sea Show
Heartlands, Pool, Cornwall
https://www.heartlandscornwall.com/squashbox-theatre-presents-the-sea-show/
Sat 13th Aug 12pm & 3pm - Stones and Bones
St Endellion Church, St Endellion, Port Isaac, Cornwall
https://thelittleboxoffice.com/endelienta/event/view/157190
Sun 14th Aug 2pm - Stones and Bones
Penlee Park Open Air Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/stones-bones/
Mon 15th Aug 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Weds 17th Aug 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Thurs 18th Aug 2pm - Stones and Bones
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall
https://tickets.sterts.co.uk/sales/genres/family/stones--bones---squashbox-thea/ticket
Sun 21st Aug 2pm - Myths and Monsters
Penlee Park Open Air Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/myths-monsters/
Mon 22nd Aug 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Weds 24th Aug 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Thurs 25th Aug 2pm - Stones and Bones
Allendale Centre, Wimborne Minster, Dorset
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/stones-and-bones#instances
Fri 26th Aug 11am - Stones and Bones
Langton Matravers Village Hall, Swanage, Dorset
https://artsreach.co.uk/event/stones-and-bones#instances
Sat 27th Aug 2pm - The Sea Show
Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall
https://www.seetickets.com/event/squashbox-theatre-the-sea-show/princess-pavilion/2375465
Sun 28th Aug 2pm - Skillywidden
Penlee Park Open Air Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/skillywidden-3/
Mon 29th Aug 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Tues 30th Aug 2pm - Tales from the Trees
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall
https://tickets.sterts.co.uk/sales/genres/family/tales-from-the-trees---squashb/ticket
Weds 31st Aug 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Mon 5th Sept 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/journey-stars
Weds 7th Sept 4pm - Journey to the Stars
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
