Mervyn Millar

Director of Puppetry

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Film, TV & Theatre

Assistant: Phoebe O'Donnell

Film, TV & Theatre

Mervyn was a Creative Associate for the National Theatre’s War Horse, having been involved in the creative team since its inception and directing casts in London, New York, Toronto and Berlin. He was Artistic Director of Handspring UK and has a longstanding association with Handspring Puppet Company in Cape Town. His awards include a Herald Angel Award and a Total Theatre Award (both for his collaboration with Kazuko Hohki, Evidence for the Existence of Borrowers). In 2010 Mervyn was awarded an Arts Foundation Fellowship; in 2015 he made a TEDx talk about puppetry and the imagination; and in 2018 Puppetry: How To Do It was published by Nick Hern Books.

★ ★ ★ ★
the puppet (the creation of Mervyn Millar and Tracy Waller) is the star of the evening

The Times on The Magician's Elephant (RSC)

a puppet you’ll never forget 
The Guardian on The Magician's Elephant 

Theatre

ProductionCompanyNotes
2022

Royal Shakespeare Company (Barbican Theatre)/Joe Hisaishi

Associate Puppetry Director
Dir. Phelim McDermott
Nominated for Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play
Nominated for WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play

2021

Royal Shakespeare Company (RST)

Puppetry Director and Co-Puppetry Designer
Dir. Sarah Tipple

2020

Royal Court (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs)

Puppetry Consultant
Dir. Vicky Featherstone

2019

Royal Shakespeare Company

Puppetry Director and Co-Designer
Dir. Kimberley Sykes

2018

Royal Festival Hall

Puppetry Designer and Director

2018

Sa Dingding / Zhong Zhe

Puppetry Designer and Director
Dir. Adrian Noble
A new Chinese musical

2017

Schauspielhaus Zürich

Puppetry Designer and Director
Dir. Ingo Berk

2016 - 2018

Asia Live Network

Puppetry Designer and Director
Australia and North America Tours

DIE BRUDER LOWENHERZ

2014

Schauspielhaus Zürich

JAMES II

2014

National Theatre of Scotland/National Theatre of Great Britain

2013

National Theatre/Handspring

Stage Theater des Westens, Berlin. Associate Puppetry Director.

STILLER

2013

Residenz Theater Munich

Co-director
In association with Handspring

2012

Handspring UK

Director

WAR HORSE

2012

National Theatre/Handspring

Prince of Wales Theater, Toronto. Associate Puppetry Director.

WAR HORSE

2011

National Theatre/Handspring

Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York. Associate Puppetry Director.

GET SANTA!

2010

Royal Court

Written and directed by Anthony Neilson.

THE SECRET GARDEN

2009

West Yorkshire Playhouse

Dir. Ian Brown.

WAR HORSE

2009

National Theatre/Handspring

New London Theatre. Associate Puppetry Director.

THE MOTHER SHIP

2008

Birmingham Rep

Dir. Ben Payne

WAR HORSE

2007

National Theatre/Handspring

Olivier Theatre. Associate Puppetry Director.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

2006

Bolton Octagon

Dir. Sarah Esdaile

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

2006

RSC

Dir. Nancy Meckler. Stratford, West End and Tour.

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

2006

ATG

Dir. Chris Luscombe. National Tour and West End.

THE ODYSSEY

2006

Lyric Hammersmith

Dir. David Farr.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

2005

Cheek By Jowl/RSC

Dir. Declan Donnellan.

THE MAGIC CARPET

2005

Lyric Hammersmith/Bristol Old Vic

Dir. David Farr

THE ODYSSEY

2005

Bristol Old Vic

Dir. David Farr

UNFOLDING ANDERSEN

2004

British Library

Theatre-Rites. Dir Sue Buckmaster and Mervyn Millar.

THE WONDERFUL LIFE AND MISERABLE DEATH OF THE RENOWNED MAGICIAN DOCTOR FAUSTUS

2004

NT Education

Dir. Rebecca Gould and Mervyn Millar.

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS

2003

BAC

Dir. Carl Heap

AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS

2002

BAC/Liverpool Playhouse

Dir. Phil Wilmott

THE LITTLE TEMPEST

2002

NT Education

Dir. Rebecca Gould

THE LUSIADS

2001

wireframe/The Museum Of

Dir. Mervyn Millar

UNCLE EBENEZER: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

2000

BAC

Dir. Phil Wilmott

AT HOME

1999

wireframe

Dir. Mervyn Millar. Tour.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

1997

BAC

Dir. Phil Wilmott

THE SECRET GARDEN

2010

Birmingham Rep

Revival. Dir. Ian Brown.

Opera

ProductionCompanyNotes

SIEGFRIED

2009

Opera National du Rhin (Strasbourg)

Dir. David McVicar.

THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD

2008

Royal Opera House (Linbury Studio)

Dir. Will Tuckett.

DIE WALKURE

2008

Opera National du Rhin (Strasbourg)

Dir. David McVicar.

2021

Opéra national de Paris

Puppetry Designer and Director
Dir. Lotte de Beer

Other

ProductionCompanyNotes
2018

Nick Hern Books

Published July 2018

2014

Paul McCartney

Music video