TUNBRIDGE WELLS PUPPETRY FESTIVAL 2026
WHAT’S ON
26 – 31 October

The Forum

Price- £5 per person

Time- 4pm-5:30pm

8yrs +

PROJECT WOLF is a brand-new medieval immersive play, crafted by SONNY PUPPETS and the CREATIVE TUNBRIDGE WELLS YOUTH PANEL. This show is the OPENING ACT for TUNBRIDGE WELLS PUPPETRY FESTIVAL.

Sonny Dee is a young Puppeteer and first-time Director, originally from Manchester, and has attended the panel for over a year. He has since been involved with Trinity Theatre, TW Literary Festival, and has performed with the puppetry-company Global Grooves at festivals around the country, such as Nottingham Puppet Festival and Chester Zoo’s Afterglow. PROJECT WOLF is performed and produced by the CTW YOUTH PANEL.

Inspired by the ORIGINAL CUMBRIAN FOLKLORE and The Last Wolf Book by Mrs Jerome Mercer.

Royal Victoria Place, Upper Plaza

Southern Thai Shadow Puppet Theatre – Free no need to book, just turn up

11am, 1pm and 3pm

Workshop 1 – 11.30 – Book here 

Workshop 2 – 1.30 – Book here

This programme celebrates the rich tradition of Thai puppetry through an immersive cultural experience designed for families, children, and audiences of all ages. Blending live performance, storytelling, audience participation, and creative workshops, it invites participants to explore the unique puppet traditions of Central and Southern Thailand. Through interactive performances and hands-on activities, audiences will discover the beauty of Thai literature, mythology, and folklore while gaining a deeper appreciation of Thailand’s living cultural heritage.

The Pantiles

 Free no need to book, just turn up

Details coming soon.

Royal Victoria Place

Saraswati – Free no need to book, just turn up

11am, 12.45pm and 1.45pm

Workshop 1 – 11.15 – Book here 

Workshop 2 – 2.45 – Book here

Saraswati has delighted audiences in many places both in Britain and abroad since 1992. She dances along to live instruments in traditional Rajasthani folk style, as well as reacting to her audience in her own particular way. She appeals to old and young alike.

Southborough Civic Centre

3pm

A family shadow theatre show for adults and children.

Set in the present day, Gaby Gulliver, an eight-year-old child, is sent on an errand into the woods for her mum…

Gaby finds herself in another universe, a weird but wonderful world… then another, and another, as she travels on a magical journey through time and space!

Along the way, regardless of where she is, the problems seem the same as at home…

Gaby’s journey into these parallel universes is one of survival and enlightenment in this contemporary reimagining of Gulliver’s Travels by Indigo Moon Theatre.

Southborough Civic Centre

2pm

Ahoy me hearties! Put on your Sea Legs and join Shadrack the lighthouse keeper for a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas as he narrates the thrilling story of Three Little Pirate Pigs. Tired of playing piggy-in-the-middle, our fearless trio decide on a game of pirates and treasure hunts. First they must build a boat! Should it be made of straw, sticks or bricks?