We sat down with the creative team at the Puppet Barge whose current show Captain Sandy and the Sea Monster is running until 26th January 2025. Get tickets here!

How did you develop the story for Captain Sandy and the Sea Monster to appeal to such a wide age range, balancing the needs of younger children with the more complex humor and themes for older audiences and adults?

During the R and D process for the show, the creative team developed the physical comedy and visual story telling elements to compliment Maddie Dai’s script and ensure there is something for everyone. 

It’s a difficult balancing act between making the show atmospheric and mysterious while ensuring it feels safe and not too scary for the young ones. 

Puppetry requires a unique combination of visual storytelling and performance. What were some of the creative challenges you faced in designing and animating the sea monsters and other elements of this nautical adventure?

A lot of the story takes place with characters floating in the sea, either on boats or swimming. The challenge of how to best portray water on stage found us experimenting with bits of blue cloth and lighting effects but we eventually discovered that the puppet movement combined with audience imagination (to fill in the gaps) was the most successful technique. It seems to have worked as we’ve had more than a few children ask if there was real water backstage !

The show uses dramatic music, lighting, and theatrical effects to create an immersive experience. How do you ensure these elements enhance the story without overwhelming younger audience members?

It’s true that younger audience members can easily get scared in a puppet show and we find that it’s important to balance theatrical effects so as not to create too much of an intense experience. For example if the the sea monster is visually quite scary then it must be accompanied by upbeat happy music and bright lighting to balance out the visuals.

How does performing on a barge influence your creative process or the experience of the audience? Does the waterborne setting add a unique atmosphere to a seafaring tale like this one?

The setting is certainly appropriate for this story but we always find that the Puppet Barge manages to transport audience member to another world even before the show has begun. The venue comes with its challenges though, mostly due to lack of space so this must be considered from the very start of any new project. 

Sea adventures often carry themes of courage, exploration, and community. What key messages or takeaways do you hope audiences—both children and adults—will leave with after seeing Captain Sandy and the Sea Monster?

Captain Sandy and the Sea Monster leverages sustainability within a narrative of anti bullying. The overall message behind the show is be kind to your friends, listen to others and don’t throw your rubbish in the sea !