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Mimika Theatre: Leeds pair and their puppets head to China for arts festival
From pipe cleaners and chamois leathers to colanders and polystyrene, a two-person theatre company uses all sorts of materials to bring its shows to life.
And though based in a back-to-back terrace in Leeds, Jenny Ward and Bill Parkinson have been invited to take their puppets to a performing arts festival in China.
The Mimika Theatre Company will swap Meanwood for the 23rd International Arts Festival of Macau in May, where they will perform their show Landscapes.
Aimed at kids, the show travels through the desert, the rainforest, the sea and the South Pole, using just sound, light and movement to convey the story.
The hand-made puppets include crocodiles, jellyfish, meerkats, seals and scorpions, made from items like wood, polystyrene, chamois leathers and colanders.
Jenny said: “We do find all sorts of creative ways to make the puppets and it can be fun.
“They get a great reaction from children, which is always really nice to hear.”
Jenny and Bill have been running the Mimika Theatre Company for 30 years, after meeting while they were at college.
All of their shows are performed in calico tents and do not use the spoken word, with puppets, lights and sounds telling the stories.
The couple initially performed in special schools before expanding into schools and theatres across the UK, where they were spotted by international events organisers.
They have since travelled to America, Canada, Denmark, Ireland and Singapore – but rarely perform in their home city.
Bill said: “We performed at a school in Barwick-in-Elmet last year and it was our first performance in Leeds for five years.
“Last year, on average we travelled 175 miles to every show, so it would be great to do more locally.”
The pair were invited to the international festival in Macau after organisers found their website.
They will fly to China for 16 days on May 14, separately from their sets and equipment, with the visit entirely funded by the festival.
Jenny said: “It’s nerve-wracking knowing that all our sets and puppets are going separately because you never know what can happen.
“But it’s a fantastic opportunity and we’re really excited about it.”
For more information. visit: web.mac.com/mimikatheatre
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