About
'The Big One Hundred' is a magical new story for Ashdown Forest, where interactive performances, heathland walks and shared encounters reveal a curious new creature and invite audiences to write the Forest’s next chapter.
One hundred years ago, A.A Milne wrote about mythical beasts the Heffalump and Woozle living in the Hundred Acre Wood. Lead artists Trigger are now creating a brand-new character, Poppet, that will live in the Forest for the next 100 years.
Poppet is a large and playful puppet that will feature characteristics of the rare heathland and species of Ashdown Forest, including the Dormouse, the Silver-studded Butterfly, the Adder, the Tiger Beetle and Nightjar. Poppet will be bought to life by eight performers and crafted using natural and reclaimed materials that echo the landscape. Audiences will encounter the creature through gentle, interactive performances while discovering how it cares for its forest friends, sparking curiosity, care, and a sense of wonder for the world around us.
Local children, families, and community groups will be invited to help imagine the Forest’s newest inhabitant, which will be revealed at Ashdown Forest during the school summer holidays before touring to locations across the district on different weekends throughout August. Alongside this, five new walks will guide visitors deeper into the landscape, inviting you to learn more about the Forest’s unique and extraordinary wildlife.
We’ll also be working with Primary Schools in the region to deliver free creative workshops for children to help us imagine this mythical new creature – if you’d like to be involved, please email lea@triggerstuff.co.uk
Creative Team
Angie Bual - Creative Director
Angie leads on all of Trigger’s work and concepts. She directed PoliNations (Unboxed/ Birmingham 2022/ Glastonbury); Each Tiny Drop, MIF’s 2023 opening ceremony; Teabreak (Without Walls Commission); GROUND (Brighton International Festival), and was the Creative Director for The Hatchling (Plymouth, Wakefield, Queens Platinum Jubilee). Angie is the lead artist for The Big One Hundred.
Jack Irving - Designer
Originally from Blackpool and now based in East London, Irving is known for his futuristic, experimental practice that blends fantasy, deep-sea inspiration and transformative design. Irving’s work spans wearable art, immersive installations and public spectacle, and he is best known for his collaborations with global pop icons including Lady Gaga, Doja Cat, Katy Perry, Paris Hilton and the Spice Girls.
Laura Cubitt - Puppetry Director
Laura is an Olivier Award Winning Theatre Maker, specialising in Movement and Puppetry. A highly skilled and experienced visual storyteller, Laura is passionate about putting movement and puppetry at the heart of a story. Her recent work includes The Lion Inside, The Secret Garden and Pinocchio.
Oliver Hymans - Puppetry Consultant
Oliver Hymans is an award-winning puppetry artist from London. He has worked internationally across four continents, directing, designing and performing in theatre, opera, film, dance, circus and music videos. Oliver's designs have been presented at a range of world-leading institutions, including Tate Modern, The National Gallery, The Little Angel Theatre and The Royal Albert Hall.
Cast of Performers
Poppet has been brought to life by an incredible team of ten performers
Lucy Clarke
Lucy is an actor/puppeteer from the East Midlands. She is an Associate Artist with Slot Machine Theatre most recently puppeteering in Your Toys at The Unicorn. She is also a recent graduate in psychotherapy specialising in trauma and work with young people.
William Uden
William has worked as a puppeteer for the last 15 years. He has been fortunate to work nationally and internationally with companies such as Tall Stories, Little Angel and Nicoll LTD. He was part of the Olivier Award winning cast of Dino World Live in 2024 and is in his element making weird noises in ancient forests.
Vanessa Mayfield
Vanessa Mayfield is a London-based performer and movement professional with over fifteen years’ of experience across aerial, circus, dance, physical theatre, and stilt work. Born and raised in Crowborough, she spent her childhood in and around Ashdown Forest, which makes The Big One Hundred a particularly special homecoming. She’s delighted to be part of Trigger’s Winnie the Pooh centenary tour.
Oliver Davis
Oliver has trained and worked with Gecko Theatre and Frantic Assembly, as well as puppetry companies Puppet Centre and Little Angel Theatre. He studied at the University of Warwick before going on to train with the Birmingham REP Theatre’s Foundry Actors Group and was a semi-finalist for the BBC Norman Beaton Fellowship. Select credits include Life of Pi (Melting Pot/International Tour), The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (UK Tour), Out of the Deep Blue (UK & International Tour) and the World Premiere stage adaptation of Princess Mononoke (Studio Ghibli/Theatre AiiA Tokyo/Whole Hog Theatre).
Tsoi Huen Wong
Tsoi Huen Wong is a UK-based performer, working across contemporary dance, physical theatre and devised performance. Trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she has since performed in ensemble-based, interdisciplinary, young people, site-specific and immersive outdoor work. She has performed for companies, festivals and independent artists, including ThickSkin and Hidden Door, among others.
Tilliana Greenwood
Tilliana is an interdisciplinary dance artist and choreographer trained in contemporary and ballet, with a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Dance Performance. She has collaborated with artists and companies including Complicité, Florence Peake, and Carlos Pons Guerra, drawing on experiences across dance, theatre, puppetry, and songwriting to create imaginative and thought-provoking work.
Peter Twose
Peter is a multidisciplinary artist working across theatre and music. He has performed all around the UK, including the West End as well as touring internationally. Theatre credits include Life of Pi, Ocean at the End of the Lane and War Horse.
Bertie Harris
Bertie is a professional puppeteer and puppetry director in the UK and internationally, whose work spans across theatre, outdoor arts, and tv & film.Her credits include: Spitting Image the Musical (Phoenix Theatre, West End); Idiots Assemble (Birmingham Rep); Dinosaur World Live (UK & China Tour).
Romina Hytten
Romina is an actor, puppeteer and director. Her theatre credits include Life of Pi, The Lorax, Running Wild and Dinosaur World Live. In 2022, along with her fellow puppeteers, she won the Oliver award for Best Supporting Actor.
Will Palmer
Theatre credits include: Swing/Puppeteer in Circus 1903 (Royal Festival Hall/Cirque Du Soleil), Flop/Pando in Bing Live (UK Tour), The De Nova Super (A Brilliant Everything), Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventures Underground (Les Enfants Terrible), Will in Hell Yes I’m Tough Enough (Rosemary Branch Theatre); Puppeteer/Student in Wesley (Red Rose Chain Theatre); Dick in The Three Keepers (Winter Walker); Doctor Stewart Ravaner in Secret Cinema Presents 28 Day Later (Secret Cinema); Jedi in Secret Cinema Presents Empire Strikes Back (Secret Cinema)
Sam Rush – Production Manager
Hayden Camidge – Company Stage Manager
Tabitha Stock – Wardrobe Specialist
Peter Twose – Composer
Corinne Ponton – Duty Manager
About Trigger
Trigger are shapeshifting creatives who dream up, create and produce bold and brave live events.
Trigger reimagine and revive public spaces, interrupt daily life, and put audiences and togetherness at the heart of everything they do. Their varied output, ranging from The Hatchling - a groundbreaking puppetry and kite flying experience - to PoliNations, a magical pop-up garden featuring five 11m high architectural trees and thousands of live plants and flowers, is inclusive, accessible and aims to shine a light on the creativity of local communities and underrepresented talent. Trigger is for everyone, and everyone is invited.
About Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest, located in East Sussex, England, is one of the largest areas of rare lowland heathland in the South East and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its unique habitats and biodiversity.
Once a medieval hunting forest, today it is celebrated for its wide, open heathland, ancient woodland, and rich wildlife, supporting species that are increasingly scarce across the UK. Owned by the Ashdown Forest Trust, it is managed by the Conservators of Ashdown Forest. Ashdown Forest was the real-life inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood from A.A Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books.
Credits
Ashdown Forest presents:
Created & Produced by Trigger
Supported by Wealden District Council, Arts Council England & The Ashdown Forest Foundation