Something Ancient Is Walking Through Your Event.

Roar — Giant White Lion Walkabout | A Contemporary Ritual for All | Available for Festivals, Garden Parties, Summer Celebrations & Beyond

The Act

There are moments at events that stop time. Where a crowd parts, a hush falls, and something so beautiful and so unexpected appears that grown adults forget themselves entirely.

Roar is one of those moments.

Sprung from the ancient Greco-Roman tradition of the procession as festive celebration, Roar into Spring — or Roar into Summer — is conceived as a contemporary ritual for all: a slow, majestic, breathtaking appearance of a Giant White Lion moving through your event space, transforming the everyday into the extraordinary. This is not a walkabout in the conventional sense. It is a visitation. A procession. A living piece of myth, made real, at your event.

The lion is extraordinary. The effect on an audience is more extraordinary still.

What Audiences Say

"I just wanted to say how absolutely amazing the Lion was on Sunday. I actually cried when I first saw him — he is so beautiful and magical. Obviously, all the acts we have from you are fab but the Lion was outstanding."

- Sarah Jones, Barry Town Council

"I know that we have had some really exceptional performance animals from Creature Encounters in the past but the appearance of the Lion in Westbury on Saturday was the most wonderfully magical event bar none."

- Councillor Jane Russ, Westbury Town Council

These are not unusual reactions. The Giant White Lion produces something that very few entertainment acts of any kind can produce — genuine, involuntary awe. In adults as much as children. That is an exceptionally rare thing, and it is what Roar is built to deliver.

The Story Behind the Act

The procession is one of the oldest forms of public celebration in the world — a shared ritual that marks time, transforms ordinary space, and reminds a community that they are, in this moment, together. Roar reclaims that tradition for the modern outdoor event. It asks nothing of its audience except presence. It rewards that presence with something they will not forget.

The Giant White Lion moves. He breathes. He holds himself with the quiet authority of something that has been here a very long time and intends to be here a little longer. His appearance at an event is not a performance in the usual sense — it is an event within an event. A centrepiece. A memory.

Perfect For

Roar is the outstanding choice for A Midsummer Night's Dream themed events, garden parties, spring and summer celebrations, Narnia and fantasy literary events, storybook and magical lands themes, children's literary festivals, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, civic celebrations, parades, processions, and any occasion that calls for something genuinely transcendent.

The act suits both intimate garden settings and large-scale public events — the lion's scale and presence command attention in any environment, and the procession format allows it to move through and animate an entire event site rather than drawing a crowd to a fixed point.

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry form. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (1 puppeteer + 2 steward performers)

Format: Walkabout procession — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-mins per day

Suitable for: Outdoor events and large indoor spaces — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space close to the performance area and free parking

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI availableon request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 4 Performers required to travel

x 6 Suitcases @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg

x 5 Flight Cases @ 100 x 66 x 55 cm

30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg

Total excess: 288kg - 11 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

As the Light Fails, Something Extraordinary Begins.

Pod — Illuminated Dolphin Puppets, Contemporary Dance & Music | Twilight Street Theatre for Coastal Festivals, Maritime Events & Evening Celebrations

The Act

At dusk, when the light is going and the streets are turning gold, a dancer appears.

She is followed by dolphins.

A mother — luminous, glowing, moving with the unhurried grace of a creature entirely at home in its element — and her three calves, playful and curious and lit from within, weave through the gathering dark behind her. They explore the topography of the street the way a pod explores a coastline: with purpose, with curiosity, with the particular quality of living things that belong somewhere completely different and have arrived, temporarily and magnificently, here.

As twilight deepens, the pod draws its audience through the streets — a slow, glowing procession that transforms the everyday urban environment into something ancient and oceanic — until the gathering crowd reaches a central public square, where the eight-minute choreographed performance piece begins.

What follows is a genuine cross-artform event: contemporary dance and atmospheric sound design, LED illuminated puppetry and music, the human body and the marine creature in conversation about the world they share and the relationship between them. It is street theatre in the most complete sense — responsive to the site, responsive to the audience, responsive to the particular quality of a summer evening when the light is doing something that cannot be replicated.

Pod performs at dusk. There is no other time for it.

The Performance

The choreographed performance piece at the heart of Pod explores humanity's relationship with the natural world — the long, complicated, beautiful and urgent story of what connects us to the ocean and the creatures in it. It is not a lecture. It is not a campaign. It is a piece of art that asks the audience to feel something, and trusts them to know what to do with that feeling.

The mother dolphin and her calves are LED illuminated puppet characters — built to the same extraordinary professional standard that runs through every Creature Encounters act, and designed specifically to perform at dusk and in darkness, where their internal illumination gives them a presence and a beauty that no daylight act can match. They glow. They move. In the half-light of a summer evening, or a winter’s night, they are genuinely, disarmingly real.

The dancer and the dolphins move together through a choreography that has been developed specifically for this work — not puppetry with dance added, not dance with puppetry added, but something that exists only in the combination of the two.

The Format

Pod is a site-responsive, processional performance — it begins in the streets and ends in the square, drawing its audience through the space rather than asking them to come to it. This is the oldest form of public performance in the world, and it produces an audience that arrives already invested, already part of the story, already in the world of the piece before the choreographed performance begins.

Three sets per day — two full parade and show performances featuring all performers, and one dolphin calf walkabout for more intimate audience interaction. Each set runs to twenty minutes.

Perfect For

Pod is the outstanding evening entertainment act for coastal festivals, maritime heritage events, harbour festivals, seaside town celebrations, environmental awareness events, ocean conservation events, contemporary arts festivals, outdoor arts programmes, civic summer celebrations, waterfront events, and any occasion that calls for something genuinely, lastingly beautiful at the close of a long event day.

The act is at its most powerful at dusk and in the early evening — the combination of natural fading light and internal LED illumination creates an effect that cannot be replicated at any other time of day, and that rewards programmers who build their evening schedule around it.

Pod also carries a natural environmental and conservation dimension — the mother dolphin and her calves, moving through a human world, exploring humanity's relationship with the ocean — that makes it an outstanding choice for events with a marine conservation, environmental or climate theme.

What People Say

Pod is a new work. It has not yet performed to the audiences it was made for — the coastal crowds, the harbour gatherings, the summer evening festivals where the light does exactly what it needs to do and the dolphins glow and something happens that nobody quite expected.

That changes this season.

If you are one of the first programmers to bring Pod to your event, we would very much like to hear what your audience made of it. Every testimonial on this site began the same way — with a first performance, and someone who wanted to tell us what they saw.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Booking Information

Performers: Minimum 6 performers + 1 producer

Characters: Mother Dolphin + 3 Dolphin Calves + Dancer

Format: 2 × full Parade & Show + 1 × Dolphin Calf Walkabout per day

Set duration: 3 × 20-minute sets per day

Best time: Dusk, twilight and evening — this act is designed for fading light

Suitable for: Outdoor public spaces — streets, harbours, public squares, coastal environments preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure changing and rehearsal space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking. Full tech spec available on request.

Please note: This act dislikes stairs

Conservation bookings: Available for marine conservation, environmental and ocean-themed events — please enquire separately

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI availableon request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 6 Performers & 1 Producer required to travel

x 5 Flight Cases @ 100 x 66 x 55 cm

30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg

Total excess: 150kg -5 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

The Dragon Is Loose.

Smoked — Animatronic Dragon Walkabout | St George & Smokey the Dragon | Medieval Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

Somewhere between legend and reality, between the world you know and the world you half-believe in, a dragon has been spotted.

Smokey the Dragon is loose. And St George — Knight of the Realm, Defender of Dragons, and possibly the bravest man at your event today — has been dispatched by the Order of the King to do something about it.

The problem is that St George doesn't want to slay this dragon. He wants to protect her. And to do that, he needs help. Your help. Your children's help. The help of every Young Knight, Warrior Maiden, Prince and Princess brave enough to step forward and face what is, genuinely, a fire-breathing animatronic dragon in the middle of a public space.

Can they overcome their fear? Can they tame the beast? Can they prove themselves worthy of joining the Order of St George: Defender of Dragons?

They can. They always can. And the moment they do, something real and lasting happens — a child who was afraid discovers they are brave. That's what this act is built to deliver, every single time.

Any injuries caused by combustion are the responsibility of the applicant.

The Dragon

Smokey is a fully animatronic dragon — built and performed to an extraordinary professional standard, with smoke effects that make every encounter genuinely atmospheric and every photograph genuinely spectacular. She moves, she breathes, she reacts to her audience, and she makes absolutely clear that she has not read the script and has no intention of behaving predictably.

St George, meanwhile, has all the poise and authority of a genuine Knight of the Realm. He's also deeply, endearingly out of his depth. The contrast is the comedy. The dragon is the magic. Together, they are among the most visually striking and emotionally resonant walkabout acts on the UK outdoor arts circuit.

Perfect For

Smoked is the standout act for medieval and fantasy events, St George's Day celebrations, Hobbit and fantasy literary events, fairy tale and magical themes, Halloween events, historical re-enactments, children's festivals, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, shopping centre activations, and any event that calls for spectacle with genuine emotional punch. The act is calibrated for all ages — terrifying enough to be exciting, warm enough to be safe.

What People Say

"You were absolutely fantastic and totally stole the show."

- Councillor Jane Russ, Westbury Town Council

"The acts were very well received — despite the weather being so hot, the walkabouts gave it everything and a bit more. Please pass on our thanks — it really made the day special."

- Lyn Summers, Events Manager, London Borough of Hillingdon MBC

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

- Diane Norton, Illford BID

Booking Information

Performers: 2 (puppeteer + St George)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs.

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI availableon request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry form below. We're happy to advise on scheduling, site requirements and event suitability.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 3 Performers required to travel

x 3 Suitcases @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg + 23kg + 23kg

x 5 Flight Cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

30kg + 30kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg

x 1 Ski Bag @ 150cm long

12kg

Total: 210kgs - 9 pieces

Creature Encounter are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

The Last Dinosaur Has Been Found.

Dinotopia — Animatronic Parasaurolophus Walkabout | Hosted by Ms Bonny Voyage or Captain Jon Voyage

The Act

She shouldn't exist. Every textbook says so. And yet here she is — Odysseia the Parasaurolophus, the last of her kind, discovered against all odds by the most tenacious explorer to ever ignore the scientific consensus.

Ms Bonny Voyage — or her uncle, the swaggering Captain Jon Voyage — has spent a very long time looking for a living dinosaur, and an even longer time trying to convince everyone that she actually found one. Today, at your event, is your audience's chance to see the proof for themselves.

Odysseia moves. She breathes. She blinks. She makes it absolutely clear that she has opinions about strangers, and she is not afraid to communicate them. This is not a costume. This is not a puppet. This is, according to the official record, a genuine Cretaceous-era herbivore who has somehow survived into the modern era, and she would very much appreciate it if you kept your voice down.

What follows is a walkabout encounter built on wonder — the kind of still, disbelieving, is-this-real wonder that you simply cannot manufacture with a screen. Children approach. Adults approach. Everyone approaches. Nobody walks away the same.

The Science Bit

Odysseia is a Parasaurolophus — a duck-billed herbivore of the late Cretaceous period, distinguished by the spectacular hollow crest extending from her skull. Ms Voyage is on hand to explain the palaeontology, the dietary requirements, the migratory habits, and the specific reasons why finding a living one has made her career — while Odysseia demonstrates, live, why none of the science textbooks quite prepared anyone for what she's actually like in person.

It's education disguised as wonder. Children absorb everything. They always do, when the wonder is real enough.

What Audiences Say

"I thought you were brilliant! You brought lots of colour to everyone's day — watching everyone interact with you was amazing, and the laughter never stopped. Thank you for making my job very easy."

-Rachel Fenely, DirectorWheee! Festival, Lakeside Arts, Nottingham

"Dinotopia was really well received. The guys were extremely professional as always, very friendly, and seemed to really enjoy the event. The dinosaur was enough to stand out from the crowd — which was exactly what I wanted, given how many costumes we get at this event."

- Sheffield Out of This World

Perfect For

Dinotopia is a natural fit for dinosaur and prehistoric themes, Jurassic Park-inspired events, natural history museums, science festivals, children's literary events, family festivals, educational events, school fairs, outdoor arts programmes, shopping centre activations and any occasion where you need something that stops traffic and holds a crowd. The act is gentle, family-friendly, and calibrated to delight from ages 2 to 92.

Booking Information

Performers: 2 (1 puppeteer + host character)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 3 Performers required to travel

x 1 Suitcase @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg

x 4 Flight Cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg

Total: 143kg - 5 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

Something Extraordinary Has Arrived From the Jungle.

Squawk — Animatronic Bird of Paradise Walkabout | Hosted by Ms Bonny Voyage or Captain Jon Voyage | Available as 1 or 2 Birds

The Act

They are vivid. They are enormous. They are, without question, the most spectacular thing anyone at your event has ever seen.

Squawk is an animatronic bird of paradise fiesta — a riot of tropical colour and impossible engineering — brought to your event by the legendary Victorian explorer Ms Bonny Voyage, or her uncle, the distinguished Gentleman of Fortune, Captain Jon Voyage. The Voyages are terribly professional about the whole thing. They have catalogued the bird's natural habitat. They have documented their plumage. They have prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions about their diet, their migratory patterns, and their opinions on the British weather.

The birds have other ideas.

Where the Voyage family brings tight-lipped English precision, Squawk brings anarchic, inquisitive, joyful chaos — nudging strangers, investigating handbags, making firm and immediate friends with anyone who stands still long enough. The contrast is the comedy. The comedy is the show. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a child reaches out and touches a tropical bird from the other side of the world, and something wonderful happens.

The Journey of the Child

Every Creature Encounters act is built around a single guiding principle: the child's journey matters most. With Squawk, that journey moves from wide-eyed wonder, through curiosity, to the brave moment of reaching forward — and the extraordinary reward of being chosen as a friend.

Ms Voyage or Captain Jon will be on hand to explain the birds’ origins, answer questions about the flora, fauna and topography of their natural habitat, and ensure that everyone who wants a photo gets one. A word of warning: Squawk won't bite. But they may decide on being friends forever.

International & Festival Pedigree

Squawk has performed to audiences across the UK and internationally, including appearances at Flipside Festival, Singapore and the Tallinn International Children's Festival in Estonia, where the act performed within a larger headline show to a pre-recorded soundtrack. Previous UK clients include shopping centres, outdoor arts festivals, town centre BIDs, family festivals and community events.

“Please accept my council's sincere appreciation for supplying the magnificent "Squawk"... once again your act was a massive success.”

- Christine Mitchell, Mayor of Westbury

“It was most definitely our pleasure to have all of you with us at Flipside. Our festival would not have been complete without you.”

- Hu Peiyi, Festival Director, Flipside, Singapore

Perfect For

Squawk is an ideal fit for outdoor arts festivals, family festivals, literary events, natural history and wildlife themes, garden shows, shopping centre activations, school fairs, country shows, Victoriana and steampunk events, and any occasion that calls for something genuinely jaw-dropping. The act works beautifully in high-footfall environments where the walkabout format allows it to find new audiences continuously throughout the day.

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (2 puppeteers + host character)

Configuration: Available as 1 or 2 birds — please enquire for details

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI availableon request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 3 Performers required to travel

x 1 Suitcase @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg

x 7 Flight Cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg

x 1 Ski Bag @ 150cm long

12kg

Total excess: 245kg - 9 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Estonia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

There Be Dragons.

Epico the Dragon & Sir Aurelious Jones — Animatronic Dragon Show for Festivals, Family Events & Corporate Entertainment

The Show

Inside every child is a hero, waiting for the call to adventure. Epico answers that call.

Every performance begins the same way — with a legend, a quest, and Sir Aurelious Jones, the most swaggering, big-hearted, hapless knight you'll ever have the misfortune to rely upon. Sir Aurelious and his long-suffering goblin servant whip the crowd into a frenzy, before a Hero is chosen from the audience to undertake three ancient tests and claim the Silver Breastplate.

Then comes the Dragon's Lair. And Epico.

A genuine animatronic dragon — built and performed to extraordinary standard — parts the mists of time. Your Hero must face their fear and rescue Sir Aurelious from certain doom. Along the way, they'll discover that courage isn't about the absence of fear, and that the most powerful force in any adventure is friendship.

Every child who steps into this show steps out changed. Knighted. Transformed. That's not a marketing line — it's what happens, every single time.

The Numbers

Epico is performed in the round over 30 minutes, from a 10m square arena, up to three times daily, to audiences of up to 1,000 people per show. It is one of the most powerful, scalable and logistically proven family entertainment shows available on the UK outdoor arts circuit — consistently delivering standing-ovation results at major festivals and events since 2004.

What People Say

"Epico the Dragon is a rare gem of a street theatre show — hugely accessible to all ages, great fun and excellently performed. Book them now before the last dragon is extinguished."

-Mikey Martins, Artistic Director, Freedom Festival Hull

"Phenomenal and Superb are just two of many superlatives. From two extremely professional guys with imagination and drive come two outstanding characters. A tour de force in quality entertainment that made me laugh until tears were rolling down my cheeks. A truly wonderful and amazing act that I would recommend without reservation."

- Rob Butler, Managing Director, Historical Promotions Event Management

"Creature Encounters were an absolute joy to work with. Their magical dragon performance was greatly enjoyed by both children and adults alike. We would work with them again without hesitation."

- Philip Oldershaw, Marketing Manager, Barking and Dagenham Catering Services

"From our feedback, it is clear Epico was the highlight of the day."‍ ‍

- Tracy Whitham, Chairman, Sting in the Tale Festival

International Pedigree

Epico has performed across the UK and internationally, including an acclaimed co-production with SKET Productions for Sumarecon Mall Serpong in Jakarta, Indonesia. The expanded production featured a full-size castle stage set, dancing courtiers, a pantomime villain and a princess — performed three times daily in Indonesian and English, attracting audiences of up to 3,000 per show. The production was reported across national media and contracted to return the following year.

Previous clients include Freedom Festival Hull, Greenbelt Festival, Cornbury Festival, Nottingham City Council, Liverpool City Council, The Quays Shopping Centre, and many more.

Perfect For

Epico is the headline act for family festivals, outdoor arts events, shopping centre activations, literary festivals, community events, and any occasion that calls for genuine spectacle. The show suits any event that wants to put children at the centre of the experience — not as passive audience members, but as the hero of the story.

Epico has performed for audiences ranging from a few hundred to several thousand. Whether you're programming a single weekend slot or a multi-week residency, the show is built to deliver, repeatedly, at scale.

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (dragon puppeteer, knight & goblin performers)

Show format: 30 minutes, in the round, up to 3 shows per day

Arena size: 10m x 13m minimum

Audience capacity: Up to 1,000 per show

Hotel: accommodation plus full breakfast required for three performers

Parking: free space for high-top long wheel-base van

Available:UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 4 Performers required to travel

x 4 Flight Cases @ 82 x 45 x 34cm

23kg + 23kg  + 23kg + 23kg

x 1 Ski bag @ 155cm long

18kg

x 7 Flight cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

30kg + 30kg  + 30kg  + 30kg + 30kg  + 30kg  + 30kg

Total: 320kg - 12 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Estonia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

Hire a Camel. Obviously.

Prince Amir & Kitty the Camel — Animatronic Walkabout Entertainment for Events, Festivals & Corporate Occasions

The Act

Out of the shimmering desert heat rides His Minuscule Majesty, Prince Amir — meerkat royalty of questionable authority, perched atop the world's most unimpressed camel.

Kitty the Camel has opinions. She shares them freely. Prince Amir, assisted by his long-suffering camel herder, is doing his very best to maintain the kind of regal dignity that simply refuses to stay maintained. The result is a roving comedy double act — part pantomime, part street theatre, entirely unforgettable — that draws crowds wherever it wanders.

Guests can stroke the camel, have their palm read by the herder, and do their bit to prop up Amir's spectacularly fragile ego. Nobody leaves without a photo. Nobody leaves without a story.

What Happens at Your Event

Prince Amir and Kitty are a fully interactive walkabout act — they roam your event space, finding their audience rather than waiting for one. The act works beautifully as a meet-and-greet, a crowd-warmer, or a standalone centrepiece. It's high-impact, highly photogenic, and generates the kind of spontaneous audience reaction that no stage act can replicate.

The animatronic camel puppet is built and performed to the highest professional standard, with a level of craft that consistently stops people in their tracks. As one recent client put it: "You were absolutely fantastic and totally stole the show."

Perfect For

This act is a natural fit for Arabian Nights events, Bollywood and Moroccan-themed occasions, festivals, shopping centre activations, corporate hospitality, pantomime, children's literary events, fantasy and storybook themes, and Christmas experiences. It has performed to audiences across the UK and internationally, including a seven-week residency at the Remal International Festival in Kuwait, where Prince Amir & the Camel were commissioned as headline performers celebrating A Thousand and One Nights.

What people say

"The Camel has been the star of the show"

- Yousef Aldaour, Managing Director, Remal International Festival

"Thank you so much for last night - you were absolutely fantastic and totally stole the show. P&O Cruises loved you so much that they were wondering if you were free to come down to Carnival House in Southampton and do your show for the entire company."

- Kate Selley, Director, Kate Selley PR

Booking Information

Performers: Multiple (2 puppeteers + 1 steward)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Outdoor events and large indoor spaces — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space close to the performance area and free parking

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 3 Performers required to travel

x 1 Suitcase @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg

x 4 Flight cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

30kg + 30kg + 30kg + 30kg

Total:  143kg - 5 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. We have delivered animatronic street theatre across the UK and in Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia and beyond.

He Came Out of the Rainforest. He's Not Going Back.

Borneo Again — Mr Business the Orangutan & Captain Jon Voyage | Jungle Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

Direct from the Sumatran rainforest — pedalling furiously, trailing temple fragments and jungle specimens, and wearing the expression of a man who has seen things the Royal Geographic Society is absolutely not ready to hear about — comes the infamous explorer Captain Jon Voyage.

Stowed away in the captain's tropical vegetation, attempting to look entirely innocent whilst surrounded by contraband bananas, is Mr Business. The orangutan. The one who was definitely not supposed to come.

Mr Business has, in his own words, given up the wildlife. He is a reformed creature. A creature of commerce. A creature who has very specific views about which members of the public deserve a banana and which ones are going to have to earn it. Captain Jon, to his credit, is doing his absolute best. The tricycle helps. The jungle specimens are a talking point. The orangutan is completely beyond managing.

What follows is a rolling, roaming, gloriously chaotic walkabout encounter that generates the kind of spontaneous, unscripted comedy that no stage act can manufacture. Mr Business finds his audience. His audience, without exception, finds him irresistible.

You'd be bananas to miss out.

The Creature

Mr Business is a full realistic orangutan creature suit — built and performed to the same extraordinary professional standard that Creature Encounters brings to all its animatronic characters. Up close, the effect is astonishing. At a distance, photographs require explanation. Children approach with caution and leave with stories. Adults forget entirely that there is a performer inside.

The tricycle, the temple fragments, the jungle specimens and the bananas are all exactly as described. Captain Jon is a fully developed character in his own right — knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and only slightly implicated in the smuggling.

The Conservation Dimension

The orangutan creature suit has also been used to powerful effect in a conservation context — performing in a live show to highlight the work of The Orangutan Project, visiting a children's hospice, and generating extraordinary audience responses around wildlife sponsorship and conservation awareness.

If you are programming an event with a conservation, wildlife or environmental theme, Mr Business can do more than entertain — he can move people to act. Please get in touch to discuss how.

Perfect For

Borneo Again is a natural fit for jungle and rainforest themes, wildlife and conservation events, adventure and explorer themes, Rudyard Kipling and literary events, natural history and science festivals, Jumanji and film-inspired events, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, shopping centre activations, garden shows and country fairs, and any occasion that calls for something warm, funny, and genuinely unlike anything else on the market.

What People Say

"The acts were very well received last Saturday and despite the weather being so hot, the walkabouts gave it everything and a bit more. Please pass on our thanks to them — it really made the day special."

- Lyn Summers, Events Manager, London Borough of Hillingdon MBC

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

- Diane Norton, Ilford Business Improvement District

Booking Information

Performers: 2 (creature performer + Captain Jon Voyage)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 x 30-min sets per day

Props/set: Tropical tricycle, jungle vegetation, temple fragments, bananas

Suitable for: Outdoor and large indoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. The tricycle requires smooth, level ground.

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry form below. We're happy to advise on scheduling, site requirements and whether Mr Business can be persuaded to share the bananas.

International Excess Baggage Details

Tbc

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

The Penguins Have Arrived. Nobody Sent For Them.

Penguins Abroad — Animatronic Penguin Walkabout | Family Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

Jim Henson always hid a group of holidaying penguins in the background of any exotically set Muppet Show sketch. They were never explained. They were never the point. They were just there — waddling, curious, profoundly unaware that they were out of place — and somehow funnier for all of it.

Penguins Abroad is built on exactly that instinct.

Accompanied by a fun-loving steward in a straw hat and Hawaiian shirt — a person who has clearly decided that if you can't beat them, you join them — the Penguins Abroad waddle, nuzzle and purr their way around your event. They are curious about everything. They are suspicious of nothing. They find your guests utterly fascinating and make absolutely no apology for saying so.

They won't bite. They may decide on being friends forever.

Available as a pair for more intimate events, or as a full flock for the kind of attention-stopping, where-do-I-look effect that turns a walkabout into a spectacle, the Penguins Abroad are among the warmest, most universally beloved acts in the Creature Encounter repertoire. Nobody — not children, not adults, not the most committed cynic at the event — is immune to a penguin who has decided you are interesting.

The Craft

Each penguin is an animatronic creature built and performed to the same extraordinary professional standard that underpins every Creature Encounter act. Up close, the effect is astonishing. The movement, the nuzzling, the purring — every detail is calibrated to produce genuine, involuntary warmth in whoever is on the receiving end of it. Photographs are inevitable. Smiles are guaranteed. The steward in the Hawaiian shirt is optional to engage with but impossible to ignore.

The Jim Henson Connection

Creature Encounter's work sits squarely in a tradition that runs from Henson through to the great street puppet and mask companies of the contemporary outdoor arts scene — work that takes puppetry seriously as an art form, that treats its audience as intelligent and emotionally engaged, and that never mistakes spectacle for substance. The penguins are funny. They are also, in the best Henson tradition, genuinely moving. That combination is rarer than it sounds, and it is what keeps audiences talking about this act long after your event is over.

Perfect For

Penguins Abroad is a natural fit for seaside and coastal themed events, Antarctic and wildlife themes, winter and Christmas events, ice themed events, Madagascarand adventure film-inspired occasions, natural history and science festivals, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, shopping centre activations, literary events, and any occasion that calls for something warm, funny, and completely irresistible. The flock configuration is particularly effective in high-footfall environments where multiple encounters can happen simultaneously across an event site.

What People Say

"We had a fantastic day and you were brilliant- and fitted perfectly into the theme of the day and the audience we had-you were loved by all."

- Sarah Hammond, Treasure House Education Officer

"Creature Encounter is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

-Diane Norton, Ilford Business Improvement District

Photos are courtesy of Sara-Lou Bowrey and Mike Sewell

Booking Information

Performers: 3 performers (2 penguins + steward) — scales with flock size

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 x 30-min sets per day

Configuration: Available as a pair or full flock — please enquire for details and pricing

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI availableon request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 3 Performers required to travel

x 6 Suit Cases @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg +23kg + 23kg + 23kg +23kg + 23kg

Total: 138kg - 6 pieces

Creature Encounter are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

She's Heading to Market. She's Brought the Badger.

Moo — Hettie the Highland Cow, Mister Tatters & Farmer Geddon | Farmyard Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

Direct from the farmyard — barrow brimming with fresh vegetables, onboard sound system playing, badger in tow — comes Hettie the Highland Cow.

Hettie is heading to market. This much is certain. What is slightly less certain is whether she will get there without stopping to investigate every single person between here and there, make firm and immediate friends with every child who has a favourite vegetable, and allow Mister Tatters the Badger to derail the entire enterprise with his particular brand of low-level mischief.

Farmer Geddon — or Rosie Organic, depending on the season and the scheduling — is doing his or her level best to keep things on track. The music is playing. The vegetables are fresh. The barrow is ready. All Hettie needs is a little trust from the children, a moment to check everyone's favourite vegetable is accounted for, and perhaps a small dance to celebrate the bounty of a Highland Harvest.

This is farmyard entertainment at its most joyful — warm, funny, musical and completely irresistible to anyone under ten. Or over ten. Or, in fact, of any age whatsoever.

The Characters

Hettie the Highland Cow is a fully animatronic creature built and performed to the same extraordinary professional standard that runs through every Creature Encounters act. Her shaggy Highland coat, her barrow of vegetables, and her absolute conviction that she has all the time in the world make her one of the most immediately loveable characters in the Creature Encounter repertoire.

Mister Tatters the Badger is exactly the kind of companion you'd expect a Highland Cow to have acquired on the road — enthusiastic, unpredictable, and the source of most of the comedy.

Farmer Geddon or Rosie Organic keeps the whole operation moving, answers questions about the harvest, and ensures that every child who wants a moment with Hettie gets one.

Perfect For

Moo is the outstanding choice for country shows, agricultural fairs, harvest festivals, food and drink festivals, farmers markets, rural community events, summer fetes, outdoor arts programmes, family festivals, shopping centre activations, Beatrix Potter and literary events, farm open days, and any event with a seasonal, rural or farm-to-fork theme. The act is gentle, musical and calibrated to delight audiences of all ages — from toddlers encountering their first Highland Cow to grandparents who have never seen one quite like this.

What People Say

“Hettie was a very popular lady!”

-Fiona Gilcrest, Director, House PR

"I had the pleasure of walking around with them on all three performances and I have to say my face ached from laughing so much - absolutely amazing!”

- Helen Cole, Merthyr Tydfil MBC

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (Hettie puppeteer + Mister Tatters + Farmer Geddon or Rosie Organic)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 x 30-min sets per day

Props/set: Vegetable barrow, onboard sound system, seasonal produce

Suitable for: Outdoor and large indoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. The barrow requires smooth, level ground.

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the enquiry button in the bottom right corner. We're happy to advise on scheduling, seasonal theming and whether Hettie can be persuaded to share the vegetables.

International Excess Baggage

TBC

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

They Have Crossed the Desert. They Have Mastered the Skies. They Have Terrible Jokes.

The Flying Carpets — Ruby Murray & Alfonso Mango | Victorian Aviators of Mystery | Comedy Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

From across the desert sands, on a gentle tailwind of improbable confidence and magnificent facial hair, come Ruby Murray and Alfonso Mango — legendary storytellers, men of mystery, and self-declared masters of the ancient art of carpet-based aviation.

Their carpets are magical. Their tales are tall. Their jokes are, by any objective measure, absolutely terrible. Their seductions are inept in a way that suggests long practice and absolutely no improvement. They are, in every respect, the most colourful, the most romantic, and the most fundamentally unreliable people at your event.

Played in the grand tradition of Victorian gentlemen and their magnificent flying machines — part barnstorming aviator, part travelling showman, part complete liability — the Flying Carpets are a comedy walkabout act of the highest order. They demonstrate powers of flight and levitation. They enchant with their stories. They attempt, at every opportunity, to seduce the audience with the kind of charm that only works if you believe in it hard enough.

Your audience will believe. They always do.

The Craft

The flying carpet illusion is built on the same principle as the Bernie Clifton ostrich — deceptively simple, brilliantly executed, and infinitely more effective than it has any right to be. Up close, you will question what you are seeing. From a distance, you will be absolutely certain you have witnessed flight. The characters carry the comedy; the illusion carries the wonder; between the two, there is not a single member of your audience who will remain unmoved.

Ruby Murray and Alfonso Mango are fully developed, fully committed characters — every detail of their costume, their history and their absolutely unverifiable credentials has been laboured over. They arrive with stories. They leave with legends.

Perfect For

The Flying Carpets are a natural fit for Arabian Nights events, Bollywood and Moroccan themed occasions, fantasy and magical lands events, storybook and fairytale themes, children's literary events, pantomime, Christmas events, Victorian themed occasions, steampunk events, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, shopping centre activations, corporate hospitality, private parties and any event that needs a comedy walkabout act that works on every level for every age. The act pairs beautifully with Prince Amir and Kitty the Camel for a fully immersive Arabian Nights event experience.

What People Say

"I hired the Flying Carpets to add a bit of buffoonery to our event — they were excellent! They were, without doubt, a big talking point with our clients. I would certainly recommend this duo to anyone looking for something a bit different."

- Adam Lambourne, Director, Farndon Boathouse

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

- Diane Norton,Ilford Business Improvement District

Booking Information

Performers: 2 (Ruby Murray & Alfonso Mango)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 x 30 min or 2 x 45 min sets

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area and free parking.

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. The carpets, however, are unaffected by altitude.

Package opportunity: Book alongside Prince Amir & Kitty the Camel for a fully themed Arabian Nights event — please enquire for details.

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request.

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquire button. We cannot guarantee Ruby and Alfonso will arrive on time. We can guarantee they will arrive with a story about why.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 2 Performers required to travel

x 2 Suitcases @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg + 23kg

TOTAL: 46kg - 2 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

They've Come From the Other World. They're Looking for Ingredients. You Might Be an Ingredient.

The Gastro Goblins — Gladwyn & Bulbus | Goblin Mask Costume Walkabout | Fantasy Comedy Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

Gladwyn and Bulbus have a stew on the go.

It's a very good stew. It has been going for some time. It requires, at this particular juncture, some additional ingredients — and Gladwyn and Bulbus have come to your event because, in their considered professional opinion, your event has exactly the kind of people who might be suitable. Are you tender? Are you well-seasoned? Have you, at any point today, been marinated?

These are reasonable questions. They deserve answers.

The Gastro Goblins are a goblin mask costume walkabout act of the highest order — fully realised characters with their own logic, their own language, and their own topsy-turvy perception of the human world that makes everything your audience takes for granted suddenly, hilariously strange. They audit members of the public for their latest stew. They make stern culinary assessments. They occasionally reconsider. They are, in the best possible sense, completely unmanageable — and the comedy that results from their collision with an unsuspecting audience is the kind that cannot be scripted, because it is different every single time.

How would you like to be served? Rare, medium, or well done?

The Characters

Gladwyn is the senior goblin. He has opinions about everything and certainty about most of it. His culinary credentials are, to be clear, entirely self-awarded.

Bulbus is the junior goblin. He is enthusiastic in ways that occasionally alarm Gladwyn. His ingredient assessments are conducted with the kind of thorough physical inspection that members of the public find both hilarious and mildly concerning in equal measure.

Together they are a comedy double act rooted in the oldest street theatre tradition of all — two fools from another world, making the familiar strange and the ordinary extraordinary.

Perfect For

The Gastro Goblins are the outstanding walkabout act for food festivals, farmers markets, culinary events, gastronomy festivals, medieval fairs, fantasy and storybook events, fairy tale and magical lands themes, Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts inspired occasions, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit themed events, Game of Thrones events, children's literary festivals, Halloween events, outdoor arts programmes, shopping centre activations, family festivals, pantomime, and any occasion that calls for anarchic, character-driven comedy that works on every level for every age.

What People Say

“Our customers and store staff thought they were marvellous family fun and very entertaining. We shall definitely be booking them again.”

- Allan Hassell, Clacton Factory Outlet

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

- Diane Norton, Ilford Business Improvement District

Booking Information

Performers: 2 (Gladwyn + Bulbus)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-minsper day

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. Gladwyn considers stairs an inferior form of elevation unworthy of a goblin of his standing.

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquire button below. Gladwyn would like you to know that you smell interesting. He means this as a compliment.

International Over-weight Baggage Details

4 x suit cases @ 23 kg

Total 92 kg

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

The Biggest Bear Hug in the Business Has Just Arrived.

Polar Pip — Giant Animatronic Polar Bear Walkabout | The Gentlest Giant at Your Event | Christmas, Winter & Family Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

He doesn't speak your language. He doesn't need to.

Polar Pip — the biggest, warmest, most magnificently scarfed polar bear you will ever encounter at a public event — communicates entirely in the universal language of sheer, overwhelming loveliness. He is enormous. He is gentle. He is absolutely certain that every single person at your event is worth investigating, and he intends to find out.

His companion — rumbustious, quick-witted and entirely unable to keep up — provides the comedy. Pip provides everything else. Between them, they are one of the most completely joyful walkabout acts available on the UK outdoor arts circuit: the kind of act where children who were shy become brave, where adults who were tired become children again, and where the best bear hug in the business is available to anyone with the courage to step forward and ask for one.

The cold, as Pip is at pains to demonstrate, is snow joke where he comes from. That's why he's wearing the scarf.

The Character

Pip is a fully animatronic giant polar bear — built and performed to the same extraordinary professional standard that runs through every Creature Encounters act. His scale is part of the magic: genuinely large enough to produce that sharp intake of breath on first sight, genuinely warm enough that the breath out comes as a laugh. The scarf is non-negotiable. The bear hugs are, technically, optional. Nobody has ever declined one.

His companion carries the banter, answers questions, manages the crowd and ensures that every child who wants a moment with Pip gets one. The pairing of the gentle giant and the irrepressible human sidekick is one of the oldest comedy structures in the world, and it works every single time.

The Climate Dimension

Polar Pip can carry a climate change and conservation message with grace and without didacticism — the gentle giant from a warming world, making friends at your event, reminding audiences that some things are worth protecting. This dimension has been used to powerful effect at environmental and educational events, and is available as a layer of the act for bookers who want it. It never overwhelms the warmth and comedy of the encounter — it simply adds depth for those looking for it.

If you are programming an event with an environmental, educational or climate theme, please get in touch to discuss how Pip can serve your event's purpose while remaining exactly the joyful, enormous, scarf-wearing bear your audience came to meet.

Perfect For

Polar Pip is the outstanding walkabout act for Christmas events, winter festivals, Santa's Grotto experiences, Lapland and Arctic themed occasions, snow and ice themed events, pantomime, children's literary events, storybook and magical lands themes, climate change and environmental events, Phillip Pullman and Northern Lights inspired occasions, natural history events, family festivals and outdoor arts programmes. The act is calibrated to delight at any time of year but reaches its full magnificence in the winter season, where Pip's scale, warmth and sheer presence transform any event into something genuinely magical.

What People Say

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

-Diane Norton, Ilford Business Improvement District

Booking Information

Performers: 2 (Pip puppeteer + companion character)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. Bear hugs, however, are available on all levels.

Climate/conservation bookings: Available for environmental and educational events — please enquire separately.

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquire button below. Bear hugs are not guaranteed in writing but have never yet been withheld.

International Excess Baggage

Please get in touch with us for details.

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

She Has Come a Very Long Way. She Needs Your Help.

Inka — Mother Polar Bear & Cubs | Accompanied by Her Sami Herder from Svalbard | Animatronic Conservation Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

Known to the Sami people as the old man in the fur cloak — the most powerful symbol of strength and endurance in the Arctic world — the polar bear has begun, for the first time in living memory, to move south.

Inka has left her maternal den high on the Arctic ice. She travels with her cubs. She is driven by something the ice cannot hold anymore — a warming, a shifting, a slow disappearance of the world she was born into. She has arrived at your event with her Sami companion from Svalbard: a gentleman of the high north, a keeper of ancient knowledge, a quiet and dignified ambassador for a world that is running out of time.

This is not a character in a suit. This is not a comedy walkabout with a punchline. This is something far rarer — an encounter with genuine emotional power. Audiences approach. They soothe the cubs. They look into the eyes of the planet's largest land carnivore and they feel, in their chest, why it matters that she is here.

She is, it should be said, completely friendly. The cubs are irresistible. The Sami herder is warm, knowledgeable and deeply human. And the photographs are extraordinary.

But the feeling — the feeling stays long after the event is over.

The Myth & The Message

The polar bear occupies a unique place in the mythologies of the circumpolar north — ancient, sovereign, and utterly unlike any other creature on earth. The Sami herder carries those stories. He knows the bear's names in languages your audience has never heard, and he knows the science of what is happening to the ice in terms that a child can understand and that an adult cannot dismiss.

The act carries a clear conservation message — the curtailment of carbon emissions, a switch to cleaner fuels, more sustainable economic practices — but it carries it through wonder and encounter rather than lecture or guilt. This is the most powerful way any message has ever been delivered. It is the way puppetry has always worked.

What People Say

"The polar bears were a divine focal point to our event, POLAR. Our customers were absolutely enchanted by these beautiful creatures and were quite emotional as a result. They brought a completely charming aspect to our picturesque park and the narrative will continue to develop for future POLAR events. Thank you once again, Creature Encounter."

- Robin Hill Country Park

That word — emotional — is the one that matters. This act produces genuine, involuntary emotional responses in adults. That is an exceptionally rare thing, and it is what Inka is built to deliver.

Perfect For

Inka is the outstanding act for Christmas events, winter festivals, Santa's Grotto experiences, Lapland and Arctic themed occasions, climate change and environmental events, conservation charity events, science festivals, natural history events, COP-aligned programming, educational events, school partnerships, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, corporate CSR events, and any occasion where you want your audience to leave not just entertained, but changed.

The act works year-round but reaches its most powerful register in the winter season, where Inka's Arctic origins are most present and her journey south most keenly felt.

A Note on Configurations

For winter events requiring both Inka and a lighter, warmer walkabout character, Inka pairs beautifully with Polar Pip — the two acts occupy completely different emotional registers and complement each other perfectly across a full event day.

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (2 Inka + cub puppeteers + Sami herder)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Outdoor and large indoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs

Package opportunity: Book alongside Polar Pip for full Arctic coverage across your winter event — please enquire for details

Conservation & CSR bookings: Available for environmental charity, corporate CSR and educational events — please enquire separately

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech Spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquiry button below. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage

Please contact us for details

Creature Encounter are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

From the Forests of Eternal Snow, Something Ancient Has Come to Find You.

The Snow Lion — Giant Animatronic White Lion | Accompanied by the Red Queen & Her Servant | Christmas & Winter Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

In the depths of the year's darkest days, when the light is lowest and the cold is deepest, the old stories say that something walks out of the forest.

The Snow Lion is a giant white lion — mythic emblem of midwinter, ancient guardian of the light of human kindness — pacing slowly and magnificently through your event, accompanied by the Red Queen and her faithful servant. Rooted in Eastern European folklore, this is not a Christmas act in the conventional sense. There is no Santa. There is no elf. There is something far older and far more powerful — a creature from the deepest tradition of winter storytelling, made real, at your event, in the middle of the modern world.

The Red Queen is a powerful feminine archetype in her own right — a deliberate and meaningful alternative to Mother Christmas, a role model for young girls who are looking for something sovereign and extraordinary in the winter season. She and the Snow Lion move together through your event in a procession of quiet, breathtaking majesty, inviting audiences to step forward, master their courage, and take home a memory of the light in the darkness.

The photographs are extraordinary. The feeling is more extraordinary still.

What Happens

This act does not perform at an audience — it moves through one. The Snow Lion, the Red Queen and her servant process across your event site, creating a series of intimate encounters within the larger spectacle of their passage. Children are invited to step forward for a moment with the lion. Adults who fully intended to watch from a safe distance find themselves doing no such thing.

The act combines Eastern European folklore, animatronic puppetry, spectacular costuming and music into an experience that sits entirely outside the ordinary register of Christmas entertainment — which is, in December, the highest compliment that can be paid to any act.

What People Say

"I just wanted to say how absolutely amazing the Snow Lion was on Sunday. I actually cried when I first saw him — he is so beautiful and magical. Obviously, all the acts we have from you guys are fab but the Lion was outstanding."

-Sarah Jones, Barry Town Centre

"I know that we have had some really exceptional performance animals from Creature Encounters in the past but the appearance of the Snow Lion in Westbury on Saturday was the most wonderfully magical event bar none. It enchanted young and old alike. It was a blissful experience for me and the town council team."

- Councillor Jane Russ, Westbury Town Council

Two clients. Two towns. Both, independently, reaching for words that sit outside the normal vocabulary of event feedback. That is what this act consistently produces, and it is what it will produce at your event.

The Red Queen — A Note for Bookers

The Red Queen is not an afterthought. She is a fully realised character with her own presence, authority and story — a rare example of a powerful, non-domestic feminine character in the winter entertainment landscape. For events with a conscious commitment to diverse and progressive representation, or for programmers who want to offer young girls a different kind of winter magic, the Red Queen is a meaningful and deliberate creative choice. Please feel free to mention this in your enquiry if it is relevant to your event's values.

Available Configurations

The Snow Lion is available as a three-person act (Red Queen, her servant and the Lion) or a two-person act (servant and Lion). The three-person configuration creates the fullest procession effect and is recommended for larger events and high-footfall environments. Please get in touch to discuss which suits your event best.

Perfect For

The Snow Lion is the outstanding walkabout act for Christmas events, winter festivals, Narnia and fantasy literary events, Russian and Eastern European folklore events, Santa's Grotto experiences, Lapland and Arctic themed occasions, snow and ice themed events, storybook and magical lands themes, pantomime, children's literary festivals, shopping centre Christmas activations, civic Christmas celebrations, and any event that wants its winter entertainment to be genuinely, lastingly memorable rather than simply seasonal.

Booking Information

Performers: 2 or 3 (Lion puppeteer + servant ± Red Queen)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3× 30-min per day

Suitable for: Outdoor and large indoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs

Package opportunity: Book alongside Polar Pip or Inka the Polar Bear for full winter coverage across your event — please enquire for details

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquiry button below. We're happy to advise on routes, scheduling and how best to deploy the act across your site.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 4 Performers required to travel

x 1 flight case @ 84 x 44 x 44cm

30kg

x 6 flight cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

32kg + 29kg + 29kg + 29kg + 26kg + 26kg

x 1 Ski Bag @ 155cm long

13kg

Total excess: 214kgs - 8 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

The North Pole Postal Service Has a Reindeer Problem. They Need Your Children's Help.

Jingle Bells — Nena the Reindeer, Pickle the Elf & the Trainee Postperson | Animatronic Christmas Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

From across the tundra, accompanied by music, festive energy and the faint smell of brandy on Pickle's breath, comes the North Pole Postal Service.

Pickle is the eldest elf on the register. He has been delivering Christmas since before most of your audience's grandparents were born. He knows the routes. He knows the lists. He knows exactly how many mince pies constitute a reasonable professional perk and he is, if pressed, prepared to defend that number in writing.

The problem is Nena.

Nena is a young reindeer — beautiful, curious, animatronic and absolutely not yet trained to trust children. This is where your audience comes in. Pickle and his newly appointed trainee postperson need volunteers — young, brave, patient volunteers — to step forward and help earn Nena's trust, one careful interaction at a time. Are you on the list of those who have been good? There is only one way to find out.

The result is a warm, musical, fully interactive Christmas walkabout with a story engine at its heart — an act that doesn't just parade a reindeer past your audience, but gives every child a role to play and a reason to step forward. By the time Nena has been won over, every volunteer has become a hero of Christmas. Every parent has a photograph. And Pickle has, against all reasonable expectation, kept it together.

He's tried to keep it together, anyway.

The Characters

Nena is a fully animatronic young reindeer — built and performed to the same extraordinary professional standard that runs through every Creature Encounter act. She moves, she breathes, she reacts to her audience, and she makes absolutely clear that trust must be earned. It always is.

Pickle is the most experienced elf in the postal service and the greatest comic character in any room he has ever entered. Ancient, irreverent, warm-hearted and in complete command of the situation — mostly. His relationship with the brandy supply is an ongoing administrative matter.

The Trainee Postperson is new. They are doing their best. They are, frankly, delighted to have the children's help.

The Sami Heritage

The reindeer is the great emblem of the Sami peoples of Lapland and the Arctic Circle — a culture and a people whose relationship with these extraordinary animals has shaped our entire Christmas iconography since Victorian times. The North Pole Postal Service carries that heritage lightly but genuinely, grounding the familiar magic of Christmas in something real, ancient and worth knowing about.

For events with an educational or cultural dimension, the Sami context is available as a layer of the act. For events that simply want the most joyful reindeer walkabout in the business, it is always there quietly underneath.

What People Say

"The act fitted in really well and an extra special thanks for providing a male reindeer handler. The guys were a pleasure to work with and super professional. We hope to work with you all again soon. Sending festive joy from a very grateful and appreciative client."

- Nikki Street, Director, Fools Paradise Ltd

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

- Diane Norton, Ilford Business Improvement District

Perfect For

Jingle Bells is the outstanding Christmas walkabout act for Santa's Grotto experiences, Lapland and Arctic themed events, Christmas festivals, winter events, shopping centre Christmas activations, civic Christmas celebrations, family festivals, pantomime, children's literary events, storybook and magical lands themes, and any Christmas occasion that wants something warmer, funnier and more genuinely interactive than a standard festive walkabout.

The act works beautifully alongside the Snow Lion and Polar Pip for a full winter event — three completely distinct emotional registers, one unforgettable day.

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (Nena puppeteer + Pickle + Trainee Postperson)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site with music for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. Pickle's relationship with the brandy supply is being actively managed.

Package opportunity: Book alongside the Snow Lion and/or Polar Pip for full winter event coverage — please enquire for details

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech spec: RAMS and PLI available on request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquire button below. Pickle will check the list. He hopes you're on it.

International Excess Baggage

Minimum x 4 Performers required to travel

x 1 flight case @ 84 x 44 x 44cm

30kg

x 3 flight cases @ 100 x 66 x 55cm

32kg + 32kg + 32kg

x 1 Ski Bag @ 155cm long

13kg

Total excess: 139kgs - 5 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.

The Penguins Have Come for Christmas. They've Brought an Elf. Nobody Asked Them To.

The Penguin Family — Cheeky & Beaky the Emperor Penguins & Crumpet the Elf | Animatronic Christmas Walkabout Street Theatre for Hire

The Act

There is a bucket of trout involved. This is important information. Cheeky and Beaky will go absolutely anywhere the bucket of trout goes, and Crumpet the Elf — lively, irreverent, comprehensively in the festive spirit — has worked this out.

Crumpet has been assigned to the penguins by the North Pole. This was, by any measure, an optimistic decision. He is doing his best. The penguins are doing what penguins do — investigating everything, following the fish, waddling with a confidence entirely disproportionate to their grasp of the situation, and making absolutely firm friends with every person who stands still long enough to meet them.

Cheeky and Beaky are Emperor Penguins — large, beautiful, animatronic and utterly, utterly irresistible. They dance. They waddle. They prance. They accept strokes. They pose for photographs with the patient good nature of creatures who have decided that public life suits them very well indeed, provided the fish situation is managed. Crumpet manages the fish situation. He also manages the banter, the crowd, the questions about Antarctica, and his own considerable enthusiasm for the season.

The result is one of the warmest, funniest, most universally beloved Christmas walkabout acts available — an act that works on every level for every age, that leaves no audience member uninvolved, and that generates the kind of spontaneous, joyful chaos that no stage show can replicate.

The Characters

Cheeky & Beaky are fully animatronic Emperor Penguins — built and performed to the same extraordinary professional standard that runs through every Creature Encounters act. Up close, the effect is astonishing. At a distance, photographs require explanation. They move, they react, they communicate unmistakably through every waddle and nuzzle that they are delighted to be here and that the fish is very good.

Crumpet the Elf is the funniest person at your event and the most professionally challenged. He is warm, quick-witted, entirely committed to the job, and in possession of the kind of festive energy that is completely genuine and completely impossible to manufacture. He will put your audience in the Christmas spirit whether they were planning on it or not.

A Note on the Trout

The bucket of trout is the secret engine of this act. It is, in the most literal sense, what makes the penguins move — and in the most theatrical sense, it is what gives Crumpet his authority, his leverage, and most of his best material. It is not mentioned in the marketing. It is mentioned here because event managers who understand the mechanics of an act book with more confidence, and because the trout bucket is, in its small way, a work of genius.

Perfect For

The Penguin Family is the outstanding Christmas walkabout act for Christmas events, winter festivals, Santa's Grotto experiences, Lapland and Arctic themed occasions, ice and snow themed events, shopping centre Christmas activations, civic Christmas celebrations, pantomime, children's literary events, family festivals, outdoor arts programmes, corporate Christmas parties and any occasion that calls for festive street theatre that is warm, funny, interactive and genuinely unlike anything else on the market.

The act pairs beautifully with the Snow Lion, Polar Pip and Inka for a full winter event — four completely distinct emotional registers, one unforgettable day.

What People Say

"I had the pleasure of walking around with them on all three performances and I have to say my face ached from laughing so much - absolutely amazing.”

- Helen Cole, Merthyr Tydfil MBC

"Creature Encounters is extremely professional, creative and hugely talented. Very reliable, dependable, helpful and personable. Michael and Jamie are two of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of doing business with. Would highly recommend."

- Diane Norton, Ilford Business Improvement District

Booking Information

Performers: 3 (Cheeky puppeteer + Beaky puppeteer + Crumpet the Elf)

Format: Walkabout — roaming across your event site for 3 × 30-min sets per day

Props: Trout bucket — do not ask Crumpet about this in front of the penguins

Suitable for: Indoor and outdoor events — flat, accessible terrain preferred

Technical requirements: A clean, secure and private changing space within 30 metres of the performance area, plus free parking

Please note: This act dislikes stairs. The penguins, however, are unbothered by the cold.

Package opportunity: Book alongside the Snow Lion, Polar Pip and/or Inka for full winter event coverage — please enquire for details

Available: UK-wide and internationally

Tech spec: RAMS and PLI availableon request

To check availability or discuss your event, use the Enquire button below. Crumpet will be there. The penguins will follow.

International Excess Baggage Details

Minimum x 4 Performers required to travel

x 7 Suit Cases @ 78 x 58 x 28cm

23kg +23kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg + 23kg

Total: 161kg - 7 pieces

Creature Encounters are designers, makers and performers of extraordinary puppet experiences, based in Birmingham. Established in 2004, we have delivered world-class animatronic street theatre across the UK and internationally, including Kuwait, Indonesia, Estonia, Singapore, Monaco, Russia and beyond.