About
Michael is a puppetry director, writer, designer/maker and performer.
He began his career at London's Little Angel Puppet Theatre and has collaborated with them extensively over the past 20 years. He is a frequent collaborator with children's theatre company,
Theatre-rites.
He has also created characters for The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre, The Young Vic, The Globe, The Barbican and Punchdrunk.
The focus of his own work is in telling original stories, showcasing the meduim of puppetry. Most recently Michael was writer/director/designer on 'Sleepyhead' a show he created for the Little Angel Theatre for the 2017 Christmas season which also enjoyed a successful national tour during 2018.
Michael also creates work for film and television.
He was lead puppeteer for several seasons of the Bafta award winning 'Harry Hill's T.V Burp' and created and performed characters for the BBC's 'The Mighty Boosh'. He recently puppeteered and voiced
Rainbow's iconic characters, Zippy & George, for a television ad campaign and puppeteered in the last Muppet movie.
Michael was involved in the puppet workshop and filming of the 2020 re-boot of 'Spitting Image' and is curently developing digital content based on the further adventures of his 'Sleepyhead' characters.
Written, directed and designed by Michael Fowkes for The Little Angel Theatre, 'Sleepyhead' opened there for Christmas 2017 and toured in the UK from Autumn until the end of 2018.
''When a studio full of kids are belly laughing away at the silliness of Baby and a Rabbit with a suspicious French accent, you know everyone has been brought into the magic of the moment. I won’t tell you too much more as I want you to experience the delightful silliness for yourselves.'' Blog review
''The production is aimed at 2-5 year olds, and our audience certainly had children from both ends of that range – with giggles and squeals of delight coming from them all!'' Blog review
"flawless comidic timing" Children's Theatre Reviews
"funniest show for the under 5's"
Carpet's First Christmas
a digital short for Christmas 2021
written & directed by Michael Fowkes
featuring music & songs by Mikey Kirkparick
filmed & edited by Joe Greco