6 June 2026: Writers Lab Presents…A Very Difficult Person
at Tobacco Factory Theatres

Are you afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? You should be.

When the Big Bad Wolf knocks at his door, Rhys lets him in, sits him at the dining room table, and is shocked when the wolf tries to gobble him up. ‘A Very Difficult Person’ is as absurd as it is frightening: a story of trust, bad judgement, and things going wrong.

Storyteller Rhys Williamson shares his darkly comic true story of a bizarre encounter with a rogue trader, reimagined as a modern fairytale.

“Consistently laugh out loud… this show is absolutely one to watch” – Culture Matters

About Rhys
Rhys Williamson is a Bristol-based storyteller and theatre-maker, and a Puppet Place Trust Ltd Trustee. Since 2014, he has written, directed and produced work for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and beyond. He was part of Tobacco Factory Theatres’ Writer’s Lab in 2023/24. ‘A Very Difficult Person’ is his debut solo show, following a successful work-in-progress showing at the Camden People’s Theatre SPRINT Festival earlier this year.

DATES: 6 June 2026
LOCATION: Tobacco Factory: Spielman Theatre
PRICE: £10
Tickets: https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/writers-lab-presents-a-very-difficult-person

31 July & 1 August 2026: Don Quixote (is a very big book)
at The Arnolfini

Performed by master puppeteer, visual artist and Puppet Place Resident Artist Dik Downey, this inventive one-man show blends laugh-out-loud comedy with moving reflections on ageing, ambition, and the struggle against the inevitable.

As Dik attempts to retell Cervantes’ enormous novel to a contemporary audience, his own mid-life crisis collides with Don Quixote’s impossible dreams. Joined by a cast of puppets, clowning, Sancho Panza, and a rather decrepit horse, the result is a witty, touching and delightfully absurd theatrical experience.

Created by Emma Williams, Dik Downey and Chris Collier, this international co-production explores what it means to keep chasing dreams when time seems to be catching up with you.

“…one of the best shows of the year. It’s so funny that your face will hurt.” — Bristol 24/7

“Slapstick comedy, and touching vulnerability… outstanding” — The Scotsman

DATES: 31 July & 1 August 2026
LOCATION: 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
Tickets: https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/don-quixote-is-a-very-big-book/

Until 31 July 2026: Morbid Merriments ‘AnOtherness’ at National Trust Tyntesfield’s ‘Reviving Gothic’ exhibition

Step inside the Drawing Room at Tyntesfield House and discover a striking exhibition of Gothic art by six diverse and pioneering contemporary artists, each responding to the house’s layered past with a modern take on Gothic Revival. Dark, atmospheric and evocative – this is Gothic as you’ve never seen it before.

Puppet Place’s resident artist and Marionette Maker Morbid Merriments will be showcasing the Endangered Heritage Craft with a new piece of her work ‘AnOtherness’ at this upcoming exhibition.

Beautifully Grotesque, Unapologetically Other and always crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Morbid Merriments embodies all that is true to Gothic Romanticism whilst maintaining a truly authentic style.

DATES: 2 May – 31 July 2026
LOCATION: Tyntesfield, Wraxall, Bristol, North Somerset, BS48 1PA
PRICE: General Admissions to Tyntesfield House apply