An introduction to Theatre-Rites

Theatre-Rites are an award-winning imaginative theatre company, known for creating work that is aimed at children but just as engaging for adults.

In 2026, we welcome them back to Manchester for Return to the Forest – a magical family show featuring puppetry, dance and play.

Here is everything you need to know about Theatre-Rites and the exciting world of puppetry.

A very brief history of puppetry

Puppetry is the act of bringing an inanimate object to life. The art form has existed for as long as the concept of animism has – the belief that all objects are living things with histories hidden within them. Since then, it has been developed by many countries around the world, each creating their own techniques, designs and traditions.

In the UK, puppetry dates back at least 600 years. Mr Punch – perhaps the most famous puppet in Europe – was first recorded in 1662 by diarist Samuel Pepys, who describes seeing a puppet named Pulcinella in Covent Garden, performed by the Italian showman Pietro Gimonde.

Whether in theatres, films, town squares or promenaded down streets, puppets have a rich history in entertainment and have always been a means of making political statements.

Puppetry today

Today, puppetry has morphed into a vibrant contemporary art form with a strong connection to technology.

Famous examples of puppetry include Spitting Image and The Muppets on TV, War Horse, Avenue Q and My Neighbour Totoro on stage, and Project Hail Mary and Labyrinth on film.

Public art projects using puppets include THE HERDS – a monumental migration of puppet animals on a 20,000km journey from the Congo basin to the Arctic Circle, which came to Manchester as part of MIF25 – and the giant puppets created by Royal de Luxe. Many other examples exist in countries all around the world.

Enter Theatre-Rites

Theatre-Rites was founded in 1996 by Penny Bernand and has been at the forefront of innovating children’s theatre ever since.

Their first production Houseworks was co-directed by Penny Bernand and Sue Buckmaster – a world-renowned puppetry expert and the company's Artistic Director since 2002.

Audiences were invited to explore the rooms of a very unusual old house in Brixton by its owner Ernie, an old man puppet.

Signature style: experimental and playful

Theatre-Rites tackle large, complex themes – such as the refugee crisis in Journey of a Refugee (2024) or plastic pollution in Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time (2021) – with an emphasis on play. This helps stir the imaginations of their young audience.

Their work is experimental, immersive and object-led, which means each production starts with a single object or site. Productions are often a result of cross-artform collaborations; they work with artists, musicians and even

MIF17: The Welcoming Party

We first joined up with Theatre-Rites for The Welcoming Party, which premiered at Manchester International Festival in 2017.

The Welcoming Party told stories of migration in an accessible and immersive way that resonated with both children and adults. Audiences were invited to walk through a warehouse at the Science and Industry Museum while listening to stories of those who had travelled from afar in search of a safe place.

MIF21: The Global Playground

In 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we teamed up with Theatre-Rites for a socially distanced show, The Global Playground. Partly inspired by lockdown, The Global Playground followed a group of dancers trying to make a film… before the camera took on a life of its own!

This show also marked the first collaboration between Sue Buckmaster and South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma – known to MIF for choreographing the powerful tale of Tree by Idris Elba and Kwame Kwei-Armah.

Return to the Forest

To mark their 30th anniversary, Theatre-Rites present Return to the Forest – their first production at Aviva Studios. Directed by Buckmaster and choreographed by Maqoma, Return to the Forest invites audiences into a museum space where five precious objects yearn to be freed.

The production started with a single object – an Ishoba made by Maqoma’s brother, a spiritual healer. Following extensive research into folklore and global masquerade traditions, Theatre-Rites identified four further precious objects with cultural significance to the team.

In true Theatre-Rites style, Return to the Forest asks big, thought-provoking questions about how we care for precious treasures. Expect beautiful puppetry and movement as well as plenty of fun and playfulness to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary.

Return to the Forest premieres at Aviva Studios from 7 to 10 May 2026. Find out more and book tickets here.