the Ballad of the Underwater Daughter
puppetry/people performance & post-show exhibition
adults and ages 14+
1hr 15mins
somewhere out there, in the murky no-man’s-land between reality and “are you pulling my leg?” there's a mechanical island inhabited entirely by dads. bodged together out of mangled metal and broken dreams, dad island is a flawed coping mechanism and the residents barely manage to keep themselves and the island afloat. then one stormy night, a tiny barnacle encrusted bottle drifts into the harbour with a crumpled note inside which reads, “remember me?”
exquisitely rendered and darkly hilarious The Ballad of the Underwater Daughter is a modern-day fairy-tale, told using a skip-load of puppets, props and machines built by Leeds' own theOBJECTproject - the company that may or may not have traumatised you with PIXIEMATOSIS
this show contains strong language... and exploding dads!
written, designed and constructed by Marc Parrett
additional material provided by Tash Hudson
directed by Frances Merriman
reviews and comments for PIXIEMATOSIS / 2023
“We loved Pixiematosis and people still talk about how brilliant it was.”
Jack Robson - Crediton Arts Centre
“there is a lot of love in this show. surprises delightful and traumatic. laughter and horror. I highly recommend it."
audience member - Ashburton Arts Centre
"I saw Pixiematosis last night in Crediton with my daughter, We absolutely ABSOLUTELY loved this show! I didn't want it to end it was wonderful!! the synergy between the lady (Nicole?) who was the sound engineer and Marc was absolutely divine...when Blinky bit into that apple 😯...the goggles on Barbie ..in my mind it was alive, the whole universe was in the room and we were captivated from beginning to end...Marc you are an absolute joy 😊❤️👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars! I could write sooooo much..x”
audience member - Crediton Arts Centre via YouTube
“such an incredible show! I'm still digesting it.”
audience member - Wardrobe Theatre Bristol - via instagram
The Ballad of the Underwater Daughter is suitable for mid/small scale venues and is available from April 26th 2024
dates and venues
2024 tour
April 26th 2024 - Slung Low at The Warehouse in Holbeck, Leeds *PREMIERE*
May 1st & 2nd 2024 - The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
May 3rd 2024 - Front Room, Weston-Super-Mare
May 14th till 18th - Newcastle Arts Centre / exhibition and performances
June 7th 2024 - Norwich Puppet Theatre
June 14th & 15th 2024 - Theatre@41, York