Soap Soup Theatre
Company
Shows
Gallery
Promoters
Links
The Company
We specialize in devised puppetry and object manipulation, mainly for an adult audience. We are dedicated to creating visual theatre, combined with contemporary music that is not reliant on dialogue. We use a combination of tabletop, banruku and object manipulation, with ‘living’ actors. We also explore through performance the relationship between puppet and puppeteer.
Our last work, Sir Gregory’s Hutch was developed as part of Theatre Lab at the Ustinov (Bath) and at Prototype at the Tobacco Factory (Bristol) and was performed at Mayfest (Bristol Old Vic) and Suspense (The Pleasance, London). We are currently working on our first family show, partly funded by Theatre Bristol, Little Red Riding Hood will be touring later on this year. For more information email tomasin@soapsouptheatre.com.
Soap Soup would like to thank for their ongoing support: Marc Parrett, Niki Mcretton, Ed Rapley, Katie Keeler, Kate Yedigaroff, Katie Dunn, Ros and David Cuthbert, Olly Biggs and Simon Coates.
Tomasin Cuthbert - Artistic Director
Tomasin is a Bristol-based designer, puppeteer and theatre practitioner. She founded Soap Soup Theatre in 2002.
She has worked as a freelance designer for nearly five years, working with puppetry companies such as Stuff and Nonsense, designing the studio and main stage version of Little Red Hen, their new Christmas main stage production of The Elves and the Shoemaker. She has designed for companies such as Creation Theatre (Oxford), Myrtle Theatre (Bristol), The WonderClub (Bristol) and Sixth Sense Theatre (Swindon).
During this time she produced three main pieces of work with Soap Soup Theatre. Minny Stynker and the Electrolux Nightmare, which premiered at the Mayfest in 2007. She then went onto produce Sir Gregory’s Hutch which was supported by The Tobacco Factory’s scratch night, Prototype, and the Ustinov's (Bath) TheatreLab. It premiered at the Mayfest and went on to The Pleasance in London as part of the Suspense Festival. She is now working on Soap Soup Theatre’s first piece of family theatre, Little Red Riding Hood, supported by Prototype at The Tobacco Factory, receiving a small amount of funding from them for the show. A new project is also in the early stages of planning, with a working title of Ambivalence. This dark and challenging piece will combine puppetry and object manipulation to explore society, the state and the fear of the 'other' within ourselves...
Tomasin is a member of Interval.
Email Tomasin: tomasin@soapsouptheatre.com
Katie Dunn - Producer
Katie Dunn has been working as a producer in Bristol since 2005. She formed The Idle Dream with Nick Young and Malcolm Hamilton in 2009 and produced their flagship production, The Station. Katie studied theatre at UWE and after a successful Arts Council application trained with Show Of Strength theatre company as a producer, working on the large outdoor performance, TRADE IT?. After completing her time with SOS, Katie went on to become a freelance producer, working with Soap Soup on Sir Gregory's Hutch and currently tour booking for Little Red (other companies she has worked with include Puppet Place and The Mechanical Animal Corporation) Katie co-produced for The Wonder Club, producing two large site-specific productions, At Tether's End and The Lamentable Tragedy. Katie is currently developing two new shows with The Idle Dream and hot desks at Theatre Bristol with a view to becoming Associate Producer in the Autumn.
Email Katie: producer@soapsouptheatre.com
Adam Fuller - Associate Artist
Adam Fuller is a Bristol-based actor, puppeteer and writer who has devised numerous successful shows with puppetry companies Full Beam Visual Theatre and Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company.
Adam helped to devise, script and nationally tour Full Beam's My Baby Just Cares For Me and The Man Who Discovered That Women Lay Eggs. These shows have featured at Bristol Old Vic's Studio Theatre and The Tobacco Factory. For Stuff and Nonsense Adam co-devised and scripted both The Little Red Hen and The Three Little Pigs, which are in their third and second years of hugely successful national touring. Both shows are running for extended periods over Christmas in London theatres.
Adam also works with Pickled Image on their Travels With Granddad project as a performer and puppeteer. He first worked with Soap Soup on Sir Gregory's Hutch for the Bristol Mayfest 2009 and has since continued to work with the company in developing Little Red Riding Hood.
Email Adam: adam@soapsouptheatre.com
Ben Hensor - Sound Designer
Ben Hensor is a composer, multimedia designer and post-production editor based in Bristol. He has designed several websites for local organisations including social justice charity African Initiatives and literacy training charity, the Youth Education Service. He has also produced artwork for community arts events and designed the visual branding for the Recursive Function Immersive Dome, a cutting edge immersive audio visual entertainment environment. He has also edited a promotional video showcasing the dome and makes regular appearances as a resident DJ.
Ben has collaborated with Leeds based Psychedelic Indie Pop band Downdime, producing remixes and creating music videos for 2 of the bands single releases. Ben joined Soap Soup and developed live music and sound for Sir Gregory's Hutch and is currently working on new material for the company's production of Little Red Riding Hood.
Email Ben: ben@soapsouptheatre.com
Little Red Riding Hood
Who’s afraid of the Big Bad wolf?
Red isn’t scared,
But neither is the wolf
And he’s hungry…
Devised by Tomasin Cuthbert and Adam Fuller. Partly funded by Theatre Bristol and works in progress performed at Prototype at the Tobacco factory, The Puppet Place open day, Ausform at BOV and Shambala festival. Our newest project, this will be on tour later on in 2011. This is our first family show, for ages 5 and up.
Sir Gregory's Hutch
A Curious Tangle of Man, Beast and Ballerina
Douglas has writer's block. His ideas are anchored to the mysterious image of a rabbit from which he can't escape. Yearning for some kind of transformation in his life, Douglas is unsure whether it’s his words, or the Rabbit that hold the key…
The Original Sir Gregory’s Hutch was devised by Tomasin Cuthbert, Adam Fuller, and Corina Bona (Little Ray). The music was devised by Ben Hensor and Saskia Portway. Other collaborators include Matt Short (Folded Feather), Ed Rapley and Becca Rose.
Sir Gregory’s Hutch was performed in full at Mayfest (Bristol Old Vic) and Suspense Festival (The Pleasance, London). Works in progress were shown at Prototype (The Tobacco factory, Bristol and TheatreLab (The Ustinov, Bath). Special thanks to Kate Yedigarroff, Katie Keeler and Andrew Smaje for making these performances possible.
Minny Stynker and the Electrolux Nightmare
Puppet shows are not just for children…
Performed as part of a collaborative collection of works, 'How to Deal with Very Bad Things'. This was performed at The Rondo Theatre, Bristol and at Mayfest (Bristol Old Vic). It was devised by Tomasin Cuthbert, Matt Short (Folded Feather) and Davinia Varela. Sound design by Alessio Noferi and original live beatbox score written and performed by Vid Warren. Special thanks to Marc Parrett for his constant support.
Little Red Riding Hood
Roll your mouse over the thumbnail images to see a larger version
Sir Gregory's Hutch
Roll your mouse over the thumbnail images to see a larger version
Minny Stynker and the Electrolux Nightmare
Roll your mouse over the thumbnail images to see a larger version
Information for Promoters
Our latest show, Little Red Riding Hood will be touring in 2011 and is available to hire!
If you would be interested in Soap Soup coming to perform at your venue, please download the Promoters' Pack to find out more about the show and our requirements.
If you'd like to book a performance or find out more, please email Tomasin at tomasin@soapsouptheatre.com.
