Cinderella was one of the earliest productions at the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre, performed by George Fredericks, Judith Haley, Phidias Koutis, Simon Barron, David Claridge and Ronnie Le Drew. The play was written by George Fredericks, with design, direction and production technique by John Blundall.
John Blundall (1937–2014) was a puppeteer, master craftsman, fine artist, scenographer, teacher and collector whose career spanned more than fifty years. He began in the circus, later founding Festival Marionettes, and after military service worked as a director and designer in several British theatres. His artistic development was shaped by figures such as Sergei Obraztsov, Leonora Shpet, a Japanese Nō mask‑maker and the Bunraku‑za company. His bold, vividly coloured puppets reflected the influence of Eastern European theatre of the 1960s and 70s. During the same decade he joined Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s production teams, contributing to Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds, and designing iconic characters including Parker, Lady Penelope’s chauffeur.
In 1968 Blundall founded the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham, serving as its artistic director until its closure in 1992 and creating more than fifty productions. He later became President of The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, served for two decades on UNIMA’s Executive Committee, chaired the British Centre of UNIMA, edited its Bulletin and was ultimately appointed its Honorary President.
