Chris Kendall

UK Based Puppeteer & Puppet Builder

@CKPuppets

Facebook.com/ckpuppets

​​ckpuppets@gmail.com


Chris Kendall
Based in Aylesbury UK
Puppet Builder / Puppeteer

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2024 - Details of projects yet to be released coming soon.

  • Dodge's Pup School (CBeebies) - Assistant Puppeteer 
  • Dodge's Pup School (CBeebies) - Puppet Builder (5 x Chihuahua's)
  • Sooty This is Your Life - Puppeteer. Royal Nottingham Theatre
  • BBC Breakfast - Puppeteer of Sooty.  Opening of "Showtown Blackpool" VT


2023 ​

  • Sooty 2023 christmas music video - Puppeteer
  • Wastebusters - Online "recycle to read" campaign - Assistant puppeteer
  • Andy And The Band Series 3 (CBBC) - Assistant puppeteer - episode 3
  • Buffering Series 2 (ITV2) - Puppeteer - Winnie The Warewolf, episode 6.
  • Lagging Series 2 (CBBC) - Puppeteer - Mini Cedric, episode 9.
  • Sing a Saurus (online childrens entertainment channel) - Animatronic character head and suit fabricator.


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.

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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 "Dodge's Pup School (CBeebies), Andy And The Band (CBBC), Buffering (ITV2).  I have had the honor of performing sooty for a number of recent projects including special episode called “Crealy Magic” and his 2023 charity Christmas music video.  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 Jim Henson Company's The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance (currently on Netflix) 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.
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