Chris Kendall
UK Based Puppeteer & Puppet Builder
Chris Kendall
Based in Aylesbury UK
Puppet Builder / Puppeteer
2023 - Details of projects yet to be released coming soon.
- Buffering Series 2 (ITV2) - Puppeteer - Winnie The Warewolf, episode 6.
- Lagging Series 2 (CBBC) - Puppeteer - Mini Cedric, episode 9.
2022
- Sooty - Puppeteer of Sooty - One episode "Sooty Crealy Magic"
- Shakespeare Week - Puppet builder "Bill Shakespeare" for Shakespeare's Birthplace trust week of online activities.
- Wastebusters (CIC) UK Recycle week - Assistant puppeteer to Warrick Brownlow-Pike for "Busta" - Online recycling campaign in partnership with Currys.
- Sooty Live - Puppet costume maker for live tour shows across the UK in Summer 2022 (daily shows at Crealy theme park and summer tour)
- Sooty Series 4 - Puppeteer - Details coming soon.
2021
- Puppet Aid - BBC1 Children In Need - Puppeteer and Puppet Wrangler. Performer Mr Punch, Doubled for Gordon the Gopher and assistant puppeteer performing various character hands.
- Alissic (Musician) - Puppet builder. 4 wearable frog heads for music video "Piano".
- Sooty - Puppeteer of Sooty. Wastebuster (CIC) UK online content.
- Midwich Cuckoos (Music Band) - Puppeteer for music video "Crosses"
- Wastebusters (CIC) UK - Puppet builder - Rebuild of signature character "Busta".
- More projects to be added once details have been released.
2020
- Midwich Cuckoos (Music Band) – Puppet builder. 6 x band member puppets for music video.
- Rosco 5 – Assistant Puppeteer. Adult Swim off the air project short film ‘Ungabarn’.
- Kevin Cripwell (Ventriloquist) – Puppet Builder. Rebuild of signature character ‘Dinky the dinosaur’
- Karen Ingram Foundation (Charity) – Puppet Builder. Construction of a puppet version of their mascot ‘Muddles’ the bear.
- Bidaya Media - Puppet builder - details coming soon
2019
- Max Fulham (Ventriloquist) – Puppet builder - Max’s signature character “Gordon The Monkey” for 2019 panto season.
- Andy and the Odd Socks (Music Band) / Ninja Pig Productions – Puppeteer (various characters) for music video “Change”.
- Thames Con (Comic Convention) – Puppet Builder. Building practise puppets for, and assisting with beginner’s puppetry workshop by Louise Gold.
2018
- Jim Henson Company / Netflix – Assistant puppeteer – The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance.
- Purplebricks / Snap London – Puppet builder and designer “Mr Wiggles” character for TV Commercial
2017
- ITV / Freemantle Media – Puppeteer & Puppet Builder - Lookalike puppets representing judges and presenters of Britain’s Got Talent. VT Segments.
- CBBC – Puppet Builder - Various characters for pilot showcase "Dysfunctional".
- Purplebricks – Puppet Builder & Designer - “Mr Wiggles” puppet character to be used in upcoming advertising campaign.
- Eman Chanel – Puppet Builder & Designer. Puppet fox presenter character for use on their channel.
- Wonder Productions – Puppet Builder & Designer - Cat puppet for their 2017 touring Christmas pantomime Dick Whittington.
Earlier Projects include –
- Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park - Building a puppet version of their mascot Woody Bear.
- Shloppy TV / Magic 2 Media - Building the 2 regular character puppets used for their webseries.
- Shebang Marketing & Design - Building lookalike puppets of staff members for marketing campaign.
- Bodmin College - Building a cast of characters for a schools licence production of Avenue Q.
Bio
I am a puppeteer and puppet builder based in Buckinghamshire, UK. A passionate fan and supporter of puppetry who grew up on fantasy worlds and characters created by the late great Jim Henson.
Puppets and puppetry have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember however it has only been in the last 10 years that I have made a conscious push to turn a passion into a profession.
During this time I have been very fortunate and grateful to have been involved in some wonderful projects.
Recent screen puppetry experience has included the honor of performing sooty for a special episode called “Crealy Magic”. I also recently assisted on the “Puppet Aid” music video for 2021’s Children In Need where I assisted in doubling for Gordon the Gopher in group shots, assisting with hands for various characters and wrangled for the shoot. I was also very proud to have been a part of The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance where I was credited as an additional puppeteer for all 10 episodes in the series.
Puppets I have built have been seen on Cbeebies, Britain’s Got Talent several commercials and numerous music videos. Ventriloquist acts including the brilliant Max Fulham and Kevin Cripwell also use puppets that I have built as their signature characters.
Training
Although no formal qualifications in the art of puppetry, I have received coaching from Henson Co and Muppet puppeteers. I have had the honour of learning from and being mentored by well-respected UK performers Warrick Brownlow-Pike and Phil Fletcher. I have also attended the Puppetry Academy taught by Mike Quinn and attended workshops held by Andrew James-Spooner and Ronnie Le-Drew.