First development days for Hercules the Bear, wrestling the amazing true story with Suzie Ferguson, Diane Thornton, Andy Cannon and a life-sized drawing of Hercules.

Hercules was a 10 foot grizzly bear who lived with a couple near where I grew up. He ate cooked meals with them at the table, drank at the local pub, wrestled at fun days all around Scotland, visited children in primary schools, escaped while filming an advert on Benbecula, evaded the police and even the army for 3 long weeks without a trace, survived that whole time without attacking or eating anything while he was on the loose, was finally spotted and carried home dangling in a net from a helicopter, won Scottish personality of the year and even went on to act in a Bond movie

The story of Hercules is incredible and almost unbelievable. Hercules has become a modern folk tale - one that happened in my lifetime, but somehow it feels like it could never happen now, and will never happen again.

A huge thank you to Visible Fictions for supporting this development. We are really excited to see where we can take it from here.

Set and costume design for Merry, a new family performance by the Audio Story Company and the Tron Theatre.

Coming to a shopping centre near you!

​"There is no need for real animals to be on stage when we have Puppet Designer Fergus Dunnet’s flamboyantly fluffy creations: a poodle scuttles on stage mid-way through the performance – half pram, half puppet – a quintessential hybrid of consumerism and artisan craft – an object that crystallises the thematic preoccupations of this piece."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ EdFringe Review

"...a majestic elk (represented by a superb puppet by Fergus Dunnet)"
​The National

"...captivating puppetry courtesy of Fergus Dunnet"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Wee Review​

"Grid Iron has brilliantly transposed this Norwegian tale"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Guardian

"a mightily complex and disturbing meditation for our time"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Scotsman

An illustrated map with featured locations for This Island's Mine, by Simon Brewis.

Part play and part friendly chat around the kitchen table, This Island’s Mine is a story for people living in the towns, cities and villages of Yorkshire’s Aire valley. It’s about memories of growing up here, of leaving and returning, and it’s about how the Airedale shapes us – as river, canal, and railway weave around each other all the way to Skipton.

You can find out more about the project here.

Early stages of the development of a mask character for Andrew Simpsons new performance The Land of Cockaigne.

Tickets for Doppler are available now!

After disappointment last year, Grid Iron have managed to restage their site specific outdoor performance Doppler at this year's Edinburgh Festival.

​You can find out more here.

MESS is a bold, playful and emotionally engaging performance for young audiences (age 5-18) with complex additional support needs, and their families.

We have just finished adapting MESS for Covid-secure performances in July-August 2021.

Find out more here.

Produced by - Scottish Theatre Producers
Devisers/performers - Ben Winger, Diane Thornton, Suzie Ferguson, Kerry Cleland, Ronan McMahon, Carmen Pieraccini, Lucy McGreal 
Designer/Maker - Fergus Dunnet
Composer - John Kielty
Outside Eye - Anna Newell
MESS-adapted Sound Design - Bal Cooke
MESS-adapted Lighting Design - James Johnson
MESS 2021 Tour Production Stage Manager - Mickey Graham
MESS 2021 Tour Production Photography - Eoin Carey
Creative Consultants - Pupils and Staff at Oaklands School, Edinburgh

Hearts and Minds have just released What do I Need?: Carers Voices, and you can watch this 6 minute film by clicking 'play' above.

Based on their Play Cope Care workshops for carers of people living with dementia at home, and made in collaboration with Glasgow East End Community Carers.

Sound Design and Composition - Susan Bear
Animation - Fergus Dunnet
Project Lead - Rachel Colles
Artistic Direction - Suzie Ferguson