Actor and puppeteer Nicholas Halliwell on the magic of puppetry in Meet Fred

Ten years ago, audiences were first introduced to Fred — a two-foot cloth puppet that dreamt of living an ordinary life until his Puppetry Living Allowance came under threat. The show was a major success at the Edinburgh Fringe and has since travelled to more than 20 countries. Now Meet Fred is back on tour in the UK and with recent cuts to disability benefits making headlines, the show feels more urgent than ever. We caught up with cast member Nicholas Harding to talk about his journey into puppetry, the craft of bringing Fred to life on stage, and which country the show has visited was his favourite.

Puppetry sounds to us like a pretty interesting job. Tell us about your training and how you got into puppetry

I studied the European Theatre Arts programme at Rose Bruford College, during which we touched on Puppetry as a theatre practice. When I then spent 5 months living and studying in Prague I discovered even more of an interest in puppetry. I'd always enjoyed the more physical acting side of theatre so it kind of became a natural fit for me. My first job out of uni was a puppetry job and my skills at that point were rather slim. This first company taught me everything they knew and I developed from there, practicing and growing with every new show.

Since Fred is a two-foot-tall puppet requiring multiple operators, how do you work with the other puppeteers on stage to bring him to life?Breath, focus, and listening to each other! We three have been doing this together for a while now so we have an internal language we all comprehend. It’s about being generous and open so that the ideas can flow freely and we are able to take cues from one another.

The show blends humour and social commentary. How do you use the playfulness of puppetry to make the more serious themes of the show more accessible to an audience?

Puppetry is a little magical for this exact reason. Especially when that puppet is a 2 foot cloth figure with no features. The audience are able to put whatever they envisage onto him. The puppet becomes someone they know. Now they are invested and have a stake in the story. It’s also just a great way of showcasing benefits - Fred literally cannot operate without his three puppeteers, he relies on that support system. 

Hijinx is known for its inclusive ensemble. How did the lived experiences of the learning disabled and Autistic performers directly shape Fred’s personality or the specific obstacles he faces in the script?

Entirely and completely. The stories in the show are their experiences. It completely comes from the ensemble.

The show has toured to over 20 countries over the past ten years, is there a particular country that was your favourite and why?

Probably Japan, it was just such a joy to go to the birthplace of Bunraku puppetry. They were very welcoming and so excited to have us out there. It was a magical experience. 

Welsh culture seems to be having a real moment with Our Town with Micheal Sheen on tour and Under Salt Marsh on Sky Atlantic. How do you all feel about representing Wales on the world stage? 

Well I’m the wrong person to ask as I’m the only Scotsman in the ensemble! But whenever I get to aid my Celtic brothers and sisters, I am more than willing to jump at the chance.

 Meet Fred is on tour until June. For more go to www.hijinx.org.uk