Miles Lee & Olivia Hopkins
Miles Lee and Olivia Hopkins donated their Collection of puppets and effects to our Charity in December 1985 on condition that it was held in storage and displayed for educational purposes. The Collection was transferred from its former home at Jordanhill College Department of Speech and Drama where it had been stored for nearly ten years.
The Puppet Troupe started its post-War professional life in 1948 and the Belgrave Mews Puppet Theatre was founded in 1951. It was the first permanent puppet theatre in the UK and operated professionally until its closure in 1961. After the building was storm damaged in 1976 it was sold and the Collection was moved to Jordanhill College. The Troupe consists of 106 Glove and Hand Puppets, 61 rod-puppets, 43 marionettes, 10 miniature rod puppets and 10 antique Asian marionette and rod puppets. Additional scenery, stage properties portable fit-ups have survived together with a full business archive, scripts, scrapbooks, press clipping files plus photos, programmes & posters, personal memorabilia, and both published and unpublished works. The Troupe now forms the basis for establishing a permanent museum within Scottish Mask & Puppet Centre.
MILES LEE &
OLIVIA HOPKINS
SCOTTISH MASK
& PUPPET CENTRE
Puppet Theatre Production
and Manipulation Re-visited
Writer: Dr Malcolm Knight