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All the United Kingdom Wales Colwyn Bay Harlequin Puppet Theatre
AO Edited

Harlequin Puppet Theatre

Britain's oldest permanent theatre designed and built for puppets.

Colwyn Bay, Wales

Added By
Gareth Hacking
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Theatre Interior.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Theatre Interior.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Theatre Stage.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Theatre Exterior.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
Marionette Cabaret.   Gareth Hacking / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Located just off the Rhos on Sea promenade, the Harlequin Puppet Theatre was opened by Eric Bramall in 1958 with an interior of Italianate frescoes and ornate plasterwork. The 100-seat, privately-run theatre is home to a collection of approximately 1,000 marionettes.

The theatre is open to the public for short seasons over the year and throughout July and August. During the summer, the shows run for around an hour and a half and are split into three sections. A traditional marionette show opens proceedings, with only the puppets visible onstage. This is followed by a magic show with Mr. Bimbamboozle, with assistance from the children in the audience.

The last section is the Marionette Cabaret, in which the puppeteer comes out from behind the stage and performs in full view of the audience so they can see the skill involved. Following Bramall's death in 1996, the theatre is run by his friend Chris Somerville to this day.

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Architecture Puppets Theaters

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Added By

Gareth Hacking

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DWL

  • DWL

Published

September 26, 2022

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Harlequin Puppet Theatre
Colwyn Bay, Wales
United Kingdom
53.30668, -3.739824
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