Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre was started in 1978 by the husband and wife team of Kathy MacLellan and John Nolan. Their integrated arts pre¬sentations combine puppetry, theatre, storytelling, dance, music and visual art. The music is performed live on a wide variety of authentic instruments, including hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer, Chinese drums, gongs, synthesizer, bones, bull-roarer, accordion, rain maker, electric guitar and more! A Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre performance can be used as a focal point for discussion of various art elements and as inspiration for your students’ own music, dance and drama.

Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre is the proud recipient of The Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA, which is the international puppetry association.

Imagine a talking cat…a devil at a dance…a bear in a canoe…a magical creature all together in a fantastic and fun introduction to the culture, music and language (mostly in English, with a soupçon of French) of the first Francophones in Canada. The voyageurs, loggers, trappers and farmers, whose humour, imagination and courage helped found Canada become the backdrop to this charming performance. Featuring puppets, early film footage, traditional songs and video, The Flying Canoe is a fun and entertaining experience that also boasts lots of curriculum connections!

The Tempest is a fantastical adaptation of Shakespeare’s magical masterpiece created specifically for younger audiences. It tells the story of Prospero, a wizard marooned on an enchanted island with his daughter, Miranda. With a mischievous sprite, Ariel, Prospero uses his magic powers to create a storm, a shipwreck, and to play tricks on his enemies – until he learns about the true power of love and forgiveness. Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre uses puppets, acting, storytelling, live music, lots of laughs and a bit of poetry to introduce students for the first time to delightful literary classics in an accessible and creative manner.