The Duschenes family:
100 years of puppets
Hamburg, 1920s
Our story begins four generations ago, in Hamburg, Germany.
These puppets, amongst a group of about 40, were almost certainly made by Grete Duschenes, Jeremy’s paternal grandmother, for her four boys Herbert, Rolf, Lutz and Mario to put on shows at home in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. The puppet bodies are of wood, and the sewing and painting of the faces is exquisite.
We had only ever seen these puppets in photographs until they were discovered a few years ago, having survived the family’s flight from Nazi Germany.
Geneva, 1947
Mario was studying at the Conservatoire de Geneve after World War II when he put on a production of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale with puppets and music. The heads are of papier mâché, the body core of wood, and the limbs are made of lead. For their size they are surprisingly heavy.
Montreal, 1968–76
In the 1960s, Mario had settled in Montreal and was making a name for himself as a conductor and music teacher. In 1968, he put on another production of The Soldier’s Tale with a Year 9 class of students at a local secondary school. His son Jeremy was one of the participants.
The puppets were student-built, heads of papier mâché on polystyrene painted quite crudely, wooden bodies made by Mario in the family basement, and well-sewn costumes which suggest parental assistance. The puppets are considerably taller than their predecessors. Sadly no photographic record of this production remains, though a few of the puppets have survived.
Jeremy would later go on to produce The Soldier’s Tale again with friends in Montreal in 1974, followed by A Christmas Carol in 1976.
Cambridge, 1980
While at university, Jeremy founded the short-lived Cambridge Marionette Theatre and put on The Soldier’s Tale again. The participants were university students, as had been the case a generation earlier with the 1947 production.
St. Albans, 1999–2004
Jeremy ran the first projects that would later become the YPPT, working with Year 6 pupils at Aboyne Lodge Primary School to create various shows.
St. Albans, 2014
Jeremy and Caitlin founded the YPPT together and began the first pilot projects. In early 2015, the YPPT’s debut show was performed in London, St Albans and Watford: The Soldier’s Tale once again.
2025
2025: The Young People’s Puppet Theatre celebrated its 10th anniversary, having run over 150 shows. Jeremy and Caitlin returned to Canada in August 2025 to put on The Soldier’s Tale again with CAMMAC Music Centre, where Jeremy had previously performed the show in 1974.
Previous Productions
| Year | Show | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Bourne Primary School |
| 2025 | Aladdin (1) | Tennyson Road Primary School |
| 2025 | Aladdin (2) | Tennyson Road Primary School |
| 2025 | Baba Yaga | Little Reddings Primary School |
| 2025 | Edith and the Thief | Highwood Primary School |
| 2025 | Edith and the Thief | West Thurrock Academy |
| 2025 | How Not to Rob A Bank | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2025 | How Not to Rob A Bank | Central Primary School |
| 2025 | Keloglan and the Magic Seal | Central Primary School |
| 2025 | Macbeth | Bewick Bridge Community Primary School |
| 2025 | Natalya | Little Reddings Primary School |
| 2025 | Oliver Twist | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2025 | Oliver Twist | Hillborough Junior School |
| 2025 | Oliver Twist | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2025 | Professors Blue | Breachwood Green JMI |
| 2025 | Sadsville | Highwood Primary School |
| 2025 | The Magic Bowl | West Thurrock Academy |
| 2025 | The Magic Bowl | Tennyson Road Primary School |
| 2025 | The Magic Bowl | Summer camp |
| 2025 | The Mechnical Gardener | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2025 | The Mechnical Gardener | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2025 | The Odyssey | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2025 | The Tinderbox | Hillborough Junior School |
| 2025 | Theseus and the Minotaur | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2025 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2025 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Hillborough Junior School |
| 2024 | Aladdin | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2024 | Aladdin | West Thurrock Academy |
| 2024 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hillborough Junior School |
| 2024 | Edith and the Thief | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2024 | Henry's Art Shop | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2024 | Henry's Art Shop | Springfield Junior School |
| 2024 | How Not To Rob A Bank | Highwood Primary School |
| 2024 | How Not To Rob A Bank | Springfield Junior School |
| 2024 | How Not To Rob A Bank | West Thurrock Academy |
| 2024 | How Not To Rob A Bank | Summer camp |
| 2024 | Macbeth | Hillborough Junior School |
| 2024 | Macbeth | Little Reddings Primary School |
| 2024 | The Mechanical Gardener | Central Primary School |
| 2024 | The Mechanical Gardener | Highwood Primary School |
| 2024 | The Odyssey | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2024 | Professors Blue | Bourne Primary School |
| 2024 | Professors Blue | St Margaret's School |
| 2024 | Rumplestiltzkin | Central Primary School |
| 2024 | Rumplestiltzkin | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2024 | Street Party | Rhyl Primary School |
| 2024 | Street Party | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2024 | The Tempest | Bewick Bridge Primary School |
| 2024 | The Tempest | Hillborough Junior School |
| 2024 | The Tempest | Little Reddings Primary School |
| 2024 | The Tinderbox | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2024 | The Tinderbox | Springfield Junior School |
| 2024 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Hartsbourne Primary School |
| 2023 | A Christmas Carol | Bromet Primary School |
| 2023 | Aladdin | Central Primary School |
| 2023 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Bewick Bridge Primary School |
| 2023 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2023 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Highwood Primary |
| 2023 | Keloglan and the Magic Seal | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2023 | Macbeth | Central Primary School |
| 2023 | Macbeth | Springfield Junior School |
| 2023 | Oceanova | Highwood Primary School |
| 2023 | Oceanova | Springfield Junior School |
| 2023 | The Odyssey | Hartsbourne Primary School |
| 2023 | Professors Blue | Springfield Junior School |
| 2023 | Professors Blue | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2023 | Rumplestiltzkin | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2023 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2023 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Breachwood Green JMI |
| 2023 | The Tempest | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2023 | How Not to Rob a Bank | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2023 | Henry's Art Shop | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2022 | A Grim Day Out | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2022 | Aladdin | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2022 | The Crossing Place | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2022 | Edith and the Thief | Central Primary School |
| 2022 | Edith and the Thief | Springfield Junior School |
| 2022 | The Mechanical Gardener | Central Primary School |
| 2022 | Oceanova | St Margaret's School |
| 2022 | The Odyssey | Springfield Junior School |
| 2022 | Oliver Twist | Highwood Primary School |
| 2022 | Oliver Twist | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2022 | Oliver Twist | Hartsbourne Primary School |
| 2022 | Rumplestiltzkin | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2022 | Sadsville | Springfield Junior School |
| 2022 | The Spirit of St Leonard's | Flamstead Primary School |
| 2022 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Highwood Primary School |
| 2022 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Bewick Bridge Primary School |
| 2022 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Galleywall Primary School |
| 2021 | Aladdin | Highwood Primary School |
| 2021 | Aladdin | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2021 | Aladdin | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2021 | Keloglan and the Magic Seal | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2021 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Beechfield Primary School |
| 2021 | The Mechanical Gardener | Bewick Bridge Primary School |
| 2021 | The Mechanical Gardener | Highwood Primary School |
| 2021 | Natalya | Breachwood Green JMI |
| 2021 | Rumplestiltzkin | De Havilland Primary School |
| 2021 | Professors Blue | Central Primary School |
| 2021 | Professors Blue | Mandeville Primary School |
| 2021 | The Tempest | Central Primary School |
| 2020 | Aladdin | Central Primary School |
| 2020 | Oliver Twist | Bewick Bridge Primary School |
| 2020 | The Magic Bowl | Highwood Primary School |
| 2020 | The Mechanical Gardener | Wolvercote Primary School |
| 2020 | The Mechanical Gardener | Highwood Primary School |
| 2020 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Central Primary School |
| 2019 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Stony Dean School |
| 2019 | A Grim Day Out | Alban City School/St Albans Cathedral |
| 2019 | Macbeth | Bewick Bridge Primary School |
| 2019 | Oliver Twist | The Grove Primary School |
| 2019 | Oliver Twist | Highwood Primary School |
| 2019 | Rumplestiltzkin | Central Primary School |
| 2019 | The Crossing Place | Alban City School/St Albans Cathedral |
| 2019 | Theseus and the Minotaur | The Grove Primary School |
| 2019 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Highwood Primary School |
| 2019 | Webs, Witches and the Spider Queen | Breachwood Green JMI |
| 2019 | Webs, Witches and the Spider Queen | Central Primary School |
| 2018 | Aladdin | Wolvercote Primary School |
| 2018 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | The Grove Primary School |
| 2018 | My Sister's Feet | Shirley Community Primary School |
| 2018 | Natalya the Ninny | Bromet Primary School |
| 2018 | One Eye Two Eyes Three Eyes | Bromet Primary School |
| 2018 | The Mechanical Gardener | Shirley Community Primary School |
| 2017 | Aladdin | The Orion Primary School |
| 2017 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Beaumont School |
| 2017 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Churchfield Primary School |
| 2017 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Houndsfield Primary School |
| 2017 | Baba Yaga | Bromet Primary School |
| 2017 | The Stolen Turnips | Bromet Primary School |
| 2017 | Oliver Twist | Churchfield Primary School |
| 2017 | Oliver Twist | Houndsfield Primary School |
| 2017 | The Magic Bowl | The Grove Primary School |
| 2017 | Webs, Witches and the Spider Queen | Churchfield Primary School |
| 2017 | Webs, Witches and the Spider Queen | Houndsfield Primary School |
| 2016 | Aladdin | Churchfield Primary School |
| 2016 | Keloglan and the Magic Seal | Houndsfield Primary School |
| 2016 | Macbeth | Churchfield Primary School |
| 2016 | The Magic Bowl | Houndsfield Primary School |
| 2016 | Rumplestiltzkin | Orchard Meadow Primary School |
| 2016 | Rumplestiltzkin | The Orion Primary School |
| 2016 | Rumplestiltzkin | Highwood Primary School |
| 2016 | Snow White | Churchfield Primary School |
| 2016 | Theseus and the Minotaur | Houndsfield Primary School |
| 2016 | The Tinderbox | The Orion Primary School |
| 2016 | The Tinderbox | Highwood Primary School |
| 2016 | The Tinderbox | Orchard Meadow Primary School |
| 2015 | Baba Yaga | Aboyne Lodge School |
| 2015 | The Stolen Turnips | Aboyne Lodge School |
| 2015 | The Soldier's Tale | The Purcell School |