ANIMATING THE SMALL
Members Event: Saturday 9 May 2026 Animating Forms of Theatre and Lambe Lambe Theatre: artistic journeys and creative residencies
Join us for a special conversation exploring the intricate and poetic world of miniature and animated theatre.
We’re delighted to welcome Gabriela Céspedes and David Duffy for a live talk followed by an inside look at a working Lambe Lambe theatre workshop.
🗓DAY: Saturday 9 May 2026
🗓Time: 1:00 PM (talk begins)
🎭 Format: Talk + live workshop demonstration
Location: PuppetSoup Canalside Studio, 5 min from Alperton Station on the Piccadilly line. 243 Ealing Rd, London, Wembley HA0 1QL
Tickets: Free event . Members only. Tickets are limited in numbers so to avoid disappointment book a place email: info@puppetsoup.com
For those who can’t make it Members of BrUNIMA can watch a recorded version via the website at a later date.
About the Event
This session opens with a conversation between two leading practitioners in puppetry and visual theatre, tracing their artistic journeys across continents, disciplines, and decades of practice.
Following the talk, we’ll move into a live feed from the workshop, where participants are developing their own Lambe Lambe theatre pieces under Gabriela’s guidance. The session will include:
Demonstrations of miniature theatres and puppets
Insights into creative processes and residencies
A closer look at lighting design for small-scale performance
Gabriela Céspedes
Gabriela Céspedes is a multidisciplinary artist with over 35 years of experience as an actress, puppeteer, director, cultural manager, and educator. An international benchmark in Lambe Lambe Theatre, she has toured across the Americas and Europe with emblematic works such as Gato Negro and Bladimir.
She has directed and participated in Iberescena projects in Brazil and Paraguay, and coordinated the first Diploma in Puppet and Object Theatre (UNCAUS). Among her honors, the Javier Villafañe National Award for lifetime achievement stands out.
Currently, she leads the group Gabriela, clavo y canela, continuing her deep research into the language of animated forms.
The live session is part of PuppetSoup’s Canalside Puppet Making Workshop with Gaby as part of this course.
The Canalside Puppet Making Course London 2026
A unique Teatro Lambe Lambe puppetry Course in London.
In Partnership with The Puppet Theatre Barge and hosted both at our canalside puppet making workshops and on the iconic Barge itself!
Join us on a fascinating journey of puppetry exploration and learn how to build and perform a fully working Teatro Lambe Lambe from your own design!
David Duffy
David Duffy has worked in lighting since 1999 and in puppetry since 2007.
He was a core member and resident lighting designer at Little Angel Theatre for 10 years, and has collaborated with Theatre Peckham, Polka Theatre, and Stuff + Nonsense. He also served as a producer for the National Theatre’s production of Hamlet, and contributed to the award-winning puppetry venue Well Walk Theatre.
David is production manager for the Hvammstangi International Puppetry Festival in Iceland, where his site-specific collaboration with Kneehigh won the Jury Prize for Excellence. He is also lighting designer for Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s Famous Puppet Death Scenes, which has toured internationally.
He has delivered talks across the UK, Europe, and the Americas, and is currently writing a book for Routledge on lighting design for puppet theatre.
In 2025, he was awarded an Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant to study Teatro de Lambe Lambe, culminating in a residency at La Nini, Gabriela Céspedes’ artists’ residency in the Andes.
We look forward to welcoming you into this intimate exploration of scale, storytelling, and the art of animating the small.