Creative Team Announced

Trigger have appointed internationally renowned artist and costume designer Jack Irving to work alongside Creative Director Angie Bual to create the new puppet costume that will be the central feature of The Big One Hundred celebrations.

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. His designs have appeared at the V&A, London Fashion Week, and the Blackpool Illuminations, and have been featured by Vogue, The New York Times and The Ellen Show. Irving is a multi-award winner at the World of Wearable Art Awards and former Cirque du Soleil resident designer.

Jack’s design for The Big One Hundred will be operated by 8-10 people simultaneously, an ambitious and rarely attempted approach that pushes the boundaries of live performance, costume and puppetry. Designed to personify Ashdown Forest and its unique landscape and protected species, Irving’s design brings a bold vision to ‘The Big One Hundred’, transforming the project into a living, moving artwork.

Jack Irving said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be collaborating with Trigger on ‘The Big One Hundred’ project to unveil the new creature of Ashdown Forest. Working closely with the Ashdown Forest team, I’ll be immersing myself in the Forest’s extraordinary ecosystem, from its butterflies and birds to its insects and plant life, and weaving those inspirations together into a vibrant, unforgettable puppetry spectacle.”

The creative team will also include Olivier Award Winning Theatre Maker Laura Cubitt. She Co-directed Dinosaur World Live (Olivier Award Winner for Best Family Show 2024). Most recently she was the movement director for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC/Unicorn); Puppetry Director for The Boy who Harnessed the Wind (RSC); Puppetry Consultant for Into the Woods (Bridge Theatre) as puppetry director for the project.

Alongside Laura, Trigger will work with Oliver Hymans (Coven, Kiln Theatre, Overheard in a Tower Block, Little Angel Theatre), the current Associate Director at Little Angel Theatre, as puppetry consultant on the project.

Angie Bual, Creative Director, said: “We’re thrilled to have Jack Irving on board as part of The Big One Hundred. His work has a rare ability to feel both spectacular and deeply playful, we can’t wait to see how his otherworldly design language responds to the imaginations of local children and the beautiful, ever-changing landscape of Ashdown Forest. We’re also very excited to also be joined by the Olivier-award-winning Puppetry Director Laura Cubitt and Puppetry Consultant Oliver Hymans to help us bring this new forest creature to life.” 

Find out more about the creative team by heading to their websites:

Jack Irving | Laura Cubitt | Oliver Hymans