Little Venice in London is one of the most charming places in the British capital, a place that we certainly like to visit often. And one of the places in Little Venice that has always caught our attention in this corner of London is the Puppet Theater Barge , a puppet theater on board a historic ship. And you know that since we came to live in London in 2010, we love to visit both the most touristic parts of the city and the lesser known… so it was time to book tickets to go see something in this historic puppet theatre. What will you find in this article?
Puppet Theater Barge in Little Venice
The Puppet Theater Barge in Little Venice in London is a puppet theater located on board a ship. Puppet shows for both children and adults are staged here, and it is moored in Little Venice year-round, except in the summer when it is moored in the lovely Richmond-upon-Thames neighborhood .
Our experience
We went to see a children’s puppet play, as we wanted to take our son. We watched the British folktale “Town Mouse and Country Mouse” which lasted about 90 minutes in total including the interval. Upon entering the ship there is a small bar, where you can buy coffees and teas as well as other drinks and snacks. For the children they had fruit and children’s cereal bars as well as organic fruit candies that are famous in the UK. Surprisingly, there is a small bathroom on board, which never hurts to know! Inside the ship there are all kinds of puppets hanging on the walls, some of them looked like they were very old! Upon entering, there are 10 rows of benches, with a total capacity of approximately 50 people. We sat in the penultimate row and it looked good.
History of the Puppet Theater Barge in Little Venice
Gren Middleton and Juliet Rogers formed the Movingstage Marionette company in 1979. After a couple of years doing puppet shows, Middleton and Rogers bought an old boat, built in the 1930s, and converted it into a 2-seat puppet theater. 50 persons. In January 1982 the first puppet show took place on board the ship.
How to get
During the summer the Puppet Theater Barge is located in Richmond Upon Thames, specifically in front of 85 Petersham Road, Richmond TW10 6UT. During the rest of the year, the ship is moored in Little Venice, specifically in front of number 35 Blomfield Road, London W9 2PF. We went to Little Venice, we got off at Paddington Station and from there we walked to the ship.
Buy tickets
I recommend buying tickets in advance on their website, especially if you want to go during the weekend, as they tend to sell out.