New lives for Theatre by the Lake puppets

A flock of sheep from Keswick's 2016 production of The Shepherd's Life - currently on show at Keswick Museum

Puppets from several past productions at Keswick's Theatre By The Lake are into new adventures . Puppets from The Wizard of Oz, The Shepherd’s Life and Around the World in 80 Days appear in exhibitions and a new film project across the UK.

The puppet dog Toto, from the theatre’s 2025 Christmas production The Wizard of Oz, is featured in A Dog’s Life, an international touring exhibition currently (until June 14) at the Rheged Cumbrian Discovery Centre in the Northern Lakes. The exhibition explores the enduring relationship between humans and their canine companions through the work of artists, designers, illustrators and photographers.

A flock of sheep and two sheepdog puppets from TBTL’s 2016 production The Shepherd’s Life are currently on display in Outside In at Keswick Museum.

The puppet Toto - seen in Keswick's 2025 Christmas show "The Wizard of Oz"

The immersive exhibition allows visitors to explore the Lake District through cutting-edge technology including aerial footage, 360° video and augmented reality experiences.

Joseph Massey, Assistant Curator at Keswick Museum, said: “We’re delighted to have these incredible puppets on loan from TBTL. They’re a fantastic example of bringing the outside in, as the puppeteers made them move like real animals on the stage. Visitors’ faces light up as soon as they see the sheep and sheepdogs!” The puppets will remain part of the exhibition until February 2027.

Toto in action in 'The Wizard of Oz' - and an elephant from 'Around the World in Eighty Days' is now being given a new look for movie 'By A Thread'

Further afield, TBTL’s elephant puppet head from the 2023 production of Around the World in 80 Days is being transformed with a new body and legs for the upcoming film By a Thread, directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Alex Lockwood.

Oliver Hyman, Associate Director at London's Little Angel Theatre, and lead puppet designer/director on the film, said: “It’s been incredibly exciting to help shape a visual language that brings the natural world to life through puppetry on screen. We’re thrilled to be utilising the elephant head from TBTL, originally created by Naomi Oppenheim, whose artistry and involvement so far in this project has been invaluable.”

Filming will take place at the Eden Project in Cornwall, with the film exploring the urgent need to re-wild our planet and inspire deeper connections with the natural world.