About
Aya Nakamura’s passion for puppetry developed while she was studying theatre design in London. Since then she has studied further at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Insititut International de la Marionnette (France) under acclaimed German Puppeteer, Ilka Schonbein.
Aya is very interested in exploring the deep dialogue that can be shared between a puppet and its puppeteer, weaving this relationship into the story, often employing human-sized puppets that share a similar face with its puppeteer.
She is an associate artist of Rouge28 Theatre, where she created both the award winning Urashima Taro and Kwaidan alongside long-term collabrator Paul Piris. Recently she was awarded Best Puppeteer at the International Puppet and Animation Festival for Adutls in Warsaw 2017.
Aya is very interested in exploring the deep dialogue that can be shared between a puppet and its puppeteer
Aya has performed and puppeteered with many other companies and has been commissioned to build puppets for many productions.
Workshop leading is another side of her interest. Leading workshops for drama, puppet making and puppeteering for children to adults as well as various ability participants.
Aya is originally from Japan, having spent her teens in Singapore before arriving in London in 2000. She has been happy based here ever since.
Performance History
| 2023 | TSB Tiny Elephant for Channel 4 Director: Grant Gilbert. DBLG Puppet Coordinator : Rob Tygner Technique: Rod Puppet, Green Screen |
| 2022 – 23 | Famous Puppet Death Scenes (The Old Trout Puppet Workshop) Calgary (Canada), Avignon (France), Edinburgh, London, French National Tour Directors: Peter Balkwill, Pityu Kenderes & Judd Palmer Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Rod Puppet, Object Manipulation |
| 2022 | Snow (Tiny Light) National Tour and Artsdepot (London) Director: Nicola Sangster Technique: Rod Puppet, Object Manipulation |
| 2022 | An Improbable Musical (Improbable) Royal and Derngate. Director: Lee Simpson. Technique: Improvisation, Singing, Table-Top Puppet, Object Manipulation Role: Puppet Designer, Puppet Director and Performer/Puppeteer |
| 2022 | Sweet Porridge (Tiny Light) Little Angle Theatre. Director: Anna Tolputt. Technique: Rod Puppet. |
| 2021 | The Gift (Touched Theatre) Z-arts, Manchester. Director: Darren East. Technique: Table-Top Puppet. |
| 2021 | There’s a Rang-Tan in my Bedroom & Other Stories (Little Angle Theatre) Little Angel Theatre. Director: Maia Kirkman-Richards. Technique: Table-Top Puppet and Shadow Puppet. |
| 2021 | Something Love – Cubbious (Oily Cart) Online Film. Lead Artist: Ellie Griffiths Technique: Object Manipulation. |
| 2021 | Twirlywoos Live! (MEI Theatrical) UK National Tour and Leicester Square Theatre (West End). Director: Roman Stefanski. Technique: Table-Top Puppet. |
| 2020 | The Gift (Touched Theatre) Due to open at Z-Arts in Christmas 2021 Director: Darren East Techinique: Table-Top Puppet. |
| 2020 | The Spider’s Thread (Rouge28 Theatre/Aya Nakamura) Short Paper Theatre Film. Director: Aya Nakamura Techinique: Paper Puppet (also known as Toy Theatre / Paper Theatre). |
2020 | Talking Rubbish (Theatre-Rites) Online Show. Director: Sue Buckmaster Techinique: Object Manipulation, Direct Manipulated Puppet. |
| 2020 | Digital Flight Paths (Extant) Online Digital Experience. Director: Maria Oshodi Techinique: Voice over. |
| 2020 | Jamboree: The Sensory Sessions (Oily Cart) Online Activity Film. Lead Artist: Ellie Griffiths Technique: Shadow Puppet, Performing. |
| 2019-20 | All Wrapped Up (Oily Cart) UK National Tour. Director: Ellie Griffiths Techinique: Object Manipulation, Shadow Puppet, Direct Manipulated Puppet. |
| 2019 | Twirlywoos Live! (MEI Theatrical) UK National Tour. Director: Roman Stefanski. Technique: Table-Top Puppet. |
| 2018 | The Frog and Princess (Norwich Puppet Theatre / Rene Baker) UK National Tour, Director: Rene Baker Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Physical Theatre, Puppet with Speech |
| Urashima Taro (Rouge28 Theatre), Flipside Festival, Singapore Director: Paul Piris Technique: Life-sized Puppet, Pupp-Acting, Singing, Paper Theatre, Shadow Puppet | |
| 2017-18 | Sarah and Duck’s Big Top Birthday (Polka Theatre/MEI Theatrical) UK National Tour and Edinburgh Fringe Festival Director: Roman Stefanski Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Rod Puppet, Singing, Manipulation with recorded voice |
| 2017 | The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare The Freak (Wattle and Daub Figure Theatre) Tobacco Factory, Bristol and Wilton Music Hall, London. Director: Sita Calvert-Ennals. Technique: Lip Synch Puppet, Operatic Singing, Rod Puppet. |
| Kwaidan (Rouge28 Theatre) UK and European Tour (Denmark, Poland and Greece). Director: Paul Piris. Technique: Life-sized Puppet, Pupp-Acting, Humanette. | |
| 2017 | R& D: The Dong with a Luminous Nose (Peter O’Rourke) Devising, testing the puppets and ideas Director: Peter O’Rourke Technique: Rod Puppet, Multi-puppeteer Manipulation, Object Manipulation |
| 2016 | Hansel and Gretel (Horse+Bamboo Theatre) The Citadel, St Helens and Norwich Puppet Theatre. Director: Alison Duddle. Technique: Table Top Puppet, Paper Theatre, Storytelling. |
| Newzoids Series Two (ITV, Citrus TV and Factory) Director: George Kane and Dominic Brigstocke. Technique: TV Puppetry, Rod Puppet, Manipulation with Recoded Voice, Green Screen. | |
| Daedala (Oliver Hymans) Director: Oliver Hymans Technique: Object Manipulation | |
| Meadow (Handbendi Brúðuleikhús, Formerly know as Old Saw) Hvammstangi Community Theatre, Iceland and UK National Tour Director: Greta Clough Technique: Rod Puppet, Object Manipulation | |
| Duvet Day (Handbendi Brúðuleikhús, Formerly know as Old Saw) UK and Scotland National Tour. Director: Greta Clough. Technique: Puppet show for babies and toddlers, Object Manipulation. | |
| 2014-16 | Kwaidan (Rouge28 Theatre), Manipulate Festival, UK National Tour, Director: Paul Piris Technique: Life-sized Puppet, Pupp-Acting, Humanette |
| 2014-15 | The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare The Freak (Wattle and Daub Figure Theatre), Bristol Puppet Festival. Director: Sita Calvert-Ennals. Technique: Lip Synch Puppet, Operatic Singing, Rod Puppet. |
| 2015 | Urashima Taro (Rouge28 Theatre), Athens, Greece Director: Paul Piris Technique: Life-sized Puppet, Pupp-Acting, Singing, Paper Theatre, Shadow Puppet |
| 2014-15 | Hansel and Gretel (Horse+Bamboo Theatre), UK National Tour The Citadel, St Helens and Norwich Puppet Theatre Director: Alison Duddle Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Mask |
| 2014 | The Frog and Princess (Norwich Puppet Theatre / Rene Baker) UK National Tour. Director: Rene Baker. Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Physical Theatre, Puppet with Speech. |
| 2012-14 | Charlie and Lola Extremely New Play (Polka Theatre/Watershed Production) UK National Tour and Polka Theatre. Director: Roman Stefanski. Technique: 2D Table-Top Puppet, Manipulation with recoded voice. |
| 2013 | Urashima Taro (Rouge28 Theatre) Polish National Tour. Director: Paul Piris. Technique: Life-sized Puppet, Pupp-Acting, Singing, Paper Theatre, Shadow Puppet. |
| Mademoiselle Lychee (Rouge28 Theatre/Aya Nakamura) Le Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes (France). Creator: Aya Nakamura. Technique: Humanette Peep Show. | |
| 2011-13 | The Nightingale (Horse+ Bamboo Theatre) UK National Tour. Director: Alison Duddle. Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Rod Puppet, Mask, Glove Puppet, Physical Theatre. |
| 2012 | Argos Alien Commercial Technique: Rod Puppet, Green Screen. |
| R&D: The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare The Freak (Wattle and Daub Figure Theatre) Director: Laura Purcell-Gate. Technique: Lip Synch Puppet. | |
| 2011-12 | Imaginary Friends (Whalley Range All Stars) National UK Tour. Director: Edward Taylor. Technique: Street Theatre, Life-size Puppet, Improvisation. |
| 2011 | R&D: The Wild Sawn (Young Vic) Young Vic. Director: Sasha Wares. Technique: Rod Puppet. |
| Return As Faulty Independent short film. Director: L. Lefteriou. Technique: Glove Puppet. | |
| R&D: Mischief (Theatre Rites) Director: Sue Buckmaster Technique: Object Manipulation, Rod Puppet | |
| 2009-11 | Urashima Taro (Rouge28 Theatre) Le Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes (France), Decibel ACE Showcase Festival, UK National Tour. Director: Paul Piris. Technique: Life-sized Puppet, Pupp-Acting, Singing, Paper Theatre, Shadow Puppet. |
| 2010 | Charlie and Lola Best Bestest Play (Polka Theatre / Watershed Production) Polka Theatre, UK National Tour and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Director: Roman Stefanski. Technique: 2D Table-Top Puppet, Manipulation with recoded voice. |
| 2008 | Urban Dreams (London Bubble) London Park Tour. Director: Jonathan Petherbridge. Technique: Outdoor Theatre, Community Theatre, Mask, Chorus Work. |
| The Twin Stars (Unicorn Theatre) Unicorn Theatre. Director: Tony Graham. Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Object Manipulation. | |
| 2007 | Double Negative (Chopped Logic) Camden People’s Theatre. Director: Cassie Werber. Technique: Road Puppet, Physical Theatre. |
| Press The Red Button (Doo Cot) Green Room, Manchester. Director: Rachael Field. Technique: Object Manipulation. | |
| 2006-07 | Fold Your Own (Doo Cot) National UK Tour. Director: Rachael Field. Technique: Object Manipulation, Singing, Physical Theatre. |
| 2006 | Furies (DoppelGäng) Barons’s Court Theatre, Puppet School Festival, Poland. Director: Paul Piris. Technique: Table-Top Puppet, Chorus Work. |
| Today’s Special (Malted Milk) Director: Jing Wong. Technique: Object Manipulation, Storytelling. | |
| Bush and Dog (Allez! Theatre) Director: Paul Piris. Technique: Rod Puppet, Street Show. |
Training History
| 2023 | Folding Toy Theater Led by Galia Levy-grad |
| 2023 | ARTIST LED LABS: THE JAPANESE NOH WORKSHOP Led by Noboru Sano, The Place |
| 2021 & 19 | Master Class: Mask Performing Led by Vamos Theatre (Rachael Savage), Jacksons Lane |
| 2020 | Master Class: Zen in the Art of Puppetry Led by Bernd Ogrodnik, Hvammstangi International Puppet Festival (Iceland) |
| 2018 | Master Class: Papier Théâtre Workshop Led by Alain Lecucq, Institut International de la Marionnette (France) |
| 2016 & 14 | Chorus Work and Movement Led by Clod Emsenble |
| 2014 | The Power of Puppets Led by Stuffed Puppet/Neville Tranter, Norwich Puppet Theatre |
| 2011 & 10 | Butoh Workshop Led by Masaki Iwana, La Maison du Butoh Blanc(France) |
| 2009 | Object Manipulation Workshop Led by Phillipe Genty Company |
| 2008 | Physical Theatre Training Arts Educational Schools London |
| 2007 | Making a Solo Puppet Led by Ilka Schöbein, Institut International de la Marionnette (France) |
| 2007 | Master Class: Applying Lecoq Methods To Puppetry Led by Tabola Rassa (Spain) |
| 2007 | Master Class: Writing for Puppetry Led by Ronnie Burkett |
| 2006 | The Logic of Movement Led by Stephen Mottram |
| 2005 & 06 | Bunraku Puppet Led by Nori Sawa, Buxton Puppet Festival |
| 2005-06 | MA Advanced Theatre Practice Central School of Speech and Drama |
| 2001-04 | BA(Hons) Theatre Design Wimbledon School of Art |