I am a freelance Puppetry Director, Designer, Maker and Consultant for hire based in Birmingham. I help Directors and Actors leap into the creative unknown, protected by my decades of experience.
I’m a Co-Founder and Creative Director of Creature Encounters Ltd, an Outdoor Arts Puppetry company celebrating Children and Childhood in the public square. Since 2004 we have performed Internationally for over a million families.
I’m currently available for consulting engagements.
Puppetry Director for Of Mice and Men, UK Tour 2023
What People Are Saying
“Puppets designed by Michael Crouch are used to represent a succession of luckless animals killed throughout the show. Most strikingly is a heartstring-tugging elderly sheepdog, a horribly mangy-looking creation of spindly ribs and patchy fur that exudes an air of decrepitude with every painful, slow movement and body-wracking cough.”
— Dave Fargnoli, The Stage
“A strong supporting cast includes a scene-stealing puppet dog, so twitchy with mange you can almost feel the bugs biting”
— Rachel Halliburton, The Times
“At the farm, we meet the star of the show, Candy’s skeletal dog in the form of a beautiful puppet (controlled by Jake Benson). The old an haggard dog’s tail wags, and his ribs move as he breathes; a beautiful and simple connection that gives the dog life.”
— West End Best Friend
Devising and performing in Stuff for Women & Theatre at The Door 2018
I graduated with a degree in Performing Arts focused on the animistic figures of Puppet, Mask and Clown. For two decades, I blended special effects artistry with street theatre spectacle for Creature Encounters—creating puppets able to travel beyond the Theatre into our public realm. The animating principles remain the same regardless of the scale, from an animatronic dragon to a simple paper skull. I use my knowledge of mechanisms, materials and puppetry techniques in service to Writers, Directors, Actors and Theatre Makers curious to breathe life into these ancient forms.
Direction
I train actors and puppeteers to get the most from the puppets in their hands. In the rehearsal room, my sole focus is the puppetry and giving feedback to the puppeteer. I liaise with the Director to ensure that the puppet behaves within and contributes to their vision, and I look for opportunities for the puppetry to turn up the emotional resonance of the wider work.
Consultancy
Contemporary puppetry is a diverse field of practice with myriad approaches to problem-solving. I help Directors navigate this field to understand how puppetry might best be used to support their vision. My intuition is guided by a rich historical understanding of tradition and how it can be blended with contemporary materials and approaches to achieve the desired outcomes. I enjoy a particular focus on how the puppet can be designed and manipulated to embody the symbolic landscape of the piece. Discussions generally begin early, pre-rehearsal room.
Design & Fabrication
I create intuitive mechanics and lightweight rigs for puppeteer-centric design. Movement studies define the essential somatic essence of a creature, an animating skeleton informed by these principles is then constructed to communicate that essence to an audience. Rehearsal room testing and exploration can occur at this point resulting in further refinement. The final “skin” cladding is then applied, which allows the character to sit harmoniously within the habitat of the set and lighting design.
Candy’s dog, designed and fabricated for Of Mice and Men, UK Tour 2003.
