Hands on learning with table top puppets for children and adults and cross generational groups.

​Looking for friendship and Fun? ​This confidence building community based class is 'drop in', free to attend and runs weekly on Tuesdays from 10.30 to 12.30 at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. We do lots of different standalone skills based drama exercises and games every week plus conversation and mutual support.  Participant feedback 2026 "Fun and laughter, a cup of tea and a blether, new friends and learning different styles of stage work.

Ada and Little Toy are heading south! There is great excitement amongst the Suitcases - The Little Toy (3-5s at 11am) and The Seven Ravens (5 to 7s at 3pm) are both heading to the Little Biggar Festival on the 16th October. Tickets are available at the Festival Box Office on the day but, even better, and really, really helpful you can book online here: …

Ada is Performing! Ada is very excited to let us all know that she will be performing at the International Storytelling Festival's Family Programme later this year! She has already packed and oiled her suitcase - an essential maintenance procedure since she discovered what might happen to her suitcase locks if neglected ... Catch her and her suitcase this October 13th and 14th October at The Scottish Storytelling Centre sisf.org.uk #scotstoryfest #SuitcaseStories #families #puppetry #storytelling @scotstoryfest@scottishstorytellingcentre@tracscotland@edinburghfestivals

This Friday Little Toy and Ada are off to the Pittenween Festival! We will be at the Church Hall James Street and we are beyond excited! Come and see us! Bring the family! What do you think of our new noticeboard? #puppetry #Pittenweem #storytelling #families #earlyyears #needlefelting #crafts #creativeplay

Very recently I learnt that I needed a noticeboard. A bit of a lightbulb moment and inspired by some lovely artists I had met at Wildhood Festival recently. So I got together various bits and pieces from the scrap cupboard, bought a few essentials and asked my friend Panna Chauhan, calligrapher extraordinaire, if she would help me with the lettering - and she did! Here is a wee essay of a rather enjoyable project we shared under the watchful eye of Tragic Carpet's HR department, Branwen.

Gem, Addy and Little Toy are waiting in the wings! Last few tweaks and rehearsal in the kitchen. We are very excited to be heading off to the #Wildhood Festival tomorrow. Ada and the Seven Ravens are preening feathers and packing rucksacks as we speak. #freelancelife #puppeteer #storytelling #WildhoodFestival

We are already counting sleeps! It is only a few weeks until we take Ada and her story to the Wildhood Festival - Scotland’s multi-award winning children’s festival - at Tullibole Castle in Perthshire. Ada is also bringing her friend - Little Toy - with her - two fabulous Suitcase Stories Our bags are almost packed already! We can't wait and are so excited - see you there!!

‘something–… ephemeral—blue – balloon,’ – Mark Bolsover Blue BalloonDownload AUTHOR STATEMENT: My work represents High-Modernist (Woolf, Joyce, Proust,)-inspired experiments in psychological …

It has been such a blast this mini tour of Lancashire libraries and community spaces with Ada and her story, The Seven Ravens. We have been hosted by the SpotOn, Lancashire's rural and library touring network. This morning saw our fifth performance to an audience of 33 parents, carers and children in Skelmersdale Library followed by a smashing welcome in the afternoon at Parbold Library.

On Monday this week I was in Crieff. I shared two performances of 'Nosferatu', one of which was dementia friendly, at the Richmond Care Home. Thank you to the wonderful care staff, particularly Suzie and to Strathearn Arts for its support. It was a most enjoyable day! #Nosferatu #Puppetry #StrathearnArts #RichmondCareHome #Crieff #Storytelling #PerthandKinross

This September I will be delivering this weekly course for Edinburgh Acting School at Summerhall Arts. The above pictures are of some of last terms students presenting the story they created in their final class of the course. We spent the term looking at lots of different aspects of storytelling - our voices, our bodies, our relationship to the audience, the use (or not) of technology, preparation for performance, rehearing, feeling confident, visual storytelling, object theatre and puppetry.

I had the privilege of travelling down to the home of Puppetcraft in Devon to take a week long marionette carving course with John Roberts. This is my second training course with John, the first being in 2016 which took place at the Little Angel Theatre in Islington, London. There was a class of three - my colleagues being both fun to be with and wonderfully supportive.

Ada and Little Toy are bringing their stories to Beacon Arts this Sunday. Ada is going on an epic adventure to find her seven brothers and Little Toy is risking life and limb on the high seas in search of best friend Gem. Don't miss them! Little Toy is at 11 am and Ada's story - The Seven Ravens - is at 1.30. Click on the links to book! #puppets #stories #fairytales #families #storytelling #objecttheatre #beaconarts

Last week was glorious, so very sunny and also extremely challenging. Me and my wee van travelled down to Totnes in Devon to spend a week woodcarving with John Roberts of Puppetcraft. There were two other woodcarving students - lovely folk - and we spent an idyllic, if very hardworking, week designing and making our own marionettes. This was the second time I had done this course with John - the first being in May 2016 at The Little Angel - and it was really good to revisit the processes and to approach the week with a better understanding of puppetry and even a little bit of wood carving experience under my belt. Very happy.

Relaxed focus... exploring core principles. Unlock Your Performance: Explore Puppetry for Actors at EAS Studios Hello everyone! I'm delighted to invite you to a workshop I'll be leading at Edinburgh Acting School Studios – a great opportunity to explore new avenues of creative expression and expand your acting toolkit through puppetry. Giving Life to Objects: In the puppetry training for actors…

Lissa Of Joyrides on the promenade with 'Betsy', the electric bike, and two lovely clients snugly wrapped up against the sea breeze in gorgeous crocheted blankets. We are preparing for Tragic Carpet's first performance of Nosferatu at The Seagrove Centre next week. The Seagrove Centre is a great resource that provides support to people living with dementia. I am helping Tragic Carpet reach this new audience, an audience that often doesn't get the chance to participate in high quality arts.

Ada, Little Toy and me (the driver) are off to the wonderful Smethwick Festival in February! We are so excited that our suitcases are packed already! Smethwick Festival is organised by Black Country Touring - see the video below to find out about its exceptional work with local communities.

This little person has arrived in Edinburgh form London during Storm Eowyn. This means that she is now huddled down in the depot as posties are in their jammies today... Her name is Ada and she will be performing the lead role in The Seven Ravens - Tragic Carpet's Suitcase Story for 8+ years (and adults really...) She will meet the team this weekend - The Sun, The Moon and The Northern Star and maybe a Raven or two.

I'm delighted to be delivering Core Skills A: Storytelling this semester for Edinburgh Acting School. With an eclectic background in theatre, puppetry, and visual storytelling, and a passion for sharing the magic of theatre through performance, education and community engagement, I'm excited to share some of this with the new students. My approach to teaching is rooted in collaboration and playful exploration, and in interrogating what we see in the space…  

Tragic Carpet's Suitcase Stories

I, too, will no longer be posting on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Plus: some more stuff about theatre.

Join us for Drama for Adults at Drylaw - a fun and engaging class where you can brush up your skills, learn new ones and support each other.