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The Púca is a unique participatory theatre performance and workshop for children, using puppetry, masks and physical theatre to teach techniques on how to manage our inner voice more effectively. The show provides a creative and practical guide to becoming less emotionally reactive and finding a safe place inside ourselves.

In Irish folklore ‘Púca’ is a mischievous shape-shifting spirit. In the show, we depict the Púca as the negative chatter inside our heads through puppetry. Puppets can provide a useful distancing tool; by externalising the inner critic as a puppet, we can learn and practice techniques and ways to be a better friend to ourselves through more compassionate self-talk.

The Púca

“The puppets helped me see the different perspectives and roles.”

Year 9 student, Cobham Free School

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The Púca is particularly suitable for Key Stage 2 and 3 students. The performance and workshop align well with English/Literacy, Arts and PSHE teaching. Through the show, children explore six skills of mental health resilience: mindfulness, self-compassion, temporal and perspective distancing, ritual, accessing flow state and reframing threat to challenge.

“I just want to say a massive thank you for coming to Magna! I have had students quoting parts of the show to me since.

“We would love to have them back in the future.”

Nathan Lamb, Subject Lead for Drama, Magna Carta School

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This unique two-hour performance workshop can accommodate up to 60 children, and includes:

  • A Q&A session for students to find out more about how the show was devised and how the puppets, masks and costumes were made.

  • Support materials for schools to use. These include:

    • an information sheet about the mental health techniques taught through the show

    • a curated list of podcasts, available on Spotify

    • mental health resources available via your setting.

      Take a look at our support materials on our Linktree.

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Booking The Púca

If you are a school or youth group that would like to find out more about The Púca, email admin@sabotagetheatre.com. Download our school tour pack for more details.

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