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!
"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
“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
"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
"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
News
'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 Performance Dates
Sat 17th July
Curious Creatures - 11.30am & 3pm
Shepton Mallet, Somerset
https://www.makethesunshine.co.uk/shows
Sun 18th July
The Sea Show - 2pm
Penlee Park Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/product/
squashbox-theatre-the-sea-show/
Mon 19th July
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Weds 21st July
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Sun 25th July
The Sea Show - 2.30pm
St Austell Arts Centre, St Austell, Cornwall
http://www.staustellartstheatre.org.uk/whatson/?event_id1=1246
Mon 26th July
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Weds 28th July
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Thurs 29th July
Stones and Bones - 2pm
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall
http://www.stertstickets.co.uk/product_details.php?item_id=207
Fri 30th July
Tales from the Trees - 2pm
Penlee Park Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/product/
squashbox-theatre-tales-from-the-trees/
Mon 2nd Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Weds 4th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Sat 7th Aug
Curious Creatures - 11am & 2pm
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth, Wales
https://www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk/family/curious-creatures-squashbox
Sun 8th Aug
Curious Creatures - 1pm & 3pm
The Place, Telford, Shropshire
https://www.theplacetelford.com/whats-on/family/curious-creatures/4473#tickets
Mon 9th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Weds 11th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Thurs 12th Aug
Curious Creatures - 2pm
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall
http://www.stertstickets.co.uk/product_details.php?item_id=135
Fri 13th Aug
Curious Creatures - 2pm
Penlee Park Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/product/
squashbox-theatre-curious-creatures/
Sat 14th Aug
Stones and Bones - 2pm
The Lowry, Salford, Manchester
https://thelowry.com/whats-on/big-top-in-the-park-squashbox-theatre-stones-and-bones/
Sun 15th Aug
Stones and Bones - 1pm & 3pm
The Place, Telford, Shropshire
https://www.theplacetelford.com/whats-on/family/stones-and-bones/4472/#details
Mon 16th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Tues 17th Aug
Tales from the Trees - 2pm
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall
http://www.stertstickets.co.uk/product_details.php?item_id=137details.php?item_id=78
Weds 18th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Thurs 19th Aug
The Sea Show - 11am & 2pm
Farnham Maltings, Farnham, Surrey
https://farnhammaltings.com/events/the-sea-show-presented-by-squashbox-theatre
Fri 20th Aug
The Sea Show - 11am & 2pm
The Place Theatre, Bedford, Bedfordshire
https://www.theplacebedford.org.uk/shows/the-sea-show/
Sat 21st Aug
The Sea Show - 11.30am & 2pm
Stables, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
https://stables.org/event/squashbox-theatre-presents-the-sea-show
Mon 23rd Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Tues 24th Aug
The Sea Show - 11am
Lakeside, Coronaation Park, Helston, Cornwall
http://www.nautibutice.co.uk/events.html
Weds 25th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Thurs 26th Aug
The Sea Show - 2pm
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall
http://www.stertstickets.co.uk/product_details.php?item_id=244tails.php?item_id=230
Fri 27th Aug
Stones and Bones - 12pm & 2.30pm
Shire Hall, Bodmin, Cornwall
Sat 28th Aug
Stones and Bones - 2pm
Penlee Park Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
https://www.penleeparktheatre.com/product/
squashbox-theatre-stones-bones/
Mon 30th Aug
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Tues 31st Aug
Universarama! - 2pm
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall
http://www.stertstickets.co.uk/product_details.php?item_id=223
Weds 1st Sept
The Sea Show - 4pm
The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
https://www.minack.com/whats-on/sea-show
Thurs 2nd Sept
Skillywidden - 2pm
Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall