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Basil Twist's obsession began early as he watched productions his mum put on as an amateur puppeteer. He built his own Star Wars character puppets and loved playing with them, but in his teens became what he calls a 'closeted puppeteer.' It wasn't cool anymore, and playing with dolls was seen as feminine. Aged 20, after moving to New York, Basil felt able to finally embrace his childhood passion and scoured phone directories to track down people involved in puppetry. Later, his Stickman creation taught him a long lesson in how to breathe life into characters in ways Basil compares to surfing or playing jazz. His diligence took him around the world, eventually winning awards and captivating crowds along the way. During the pandemic Basil faced his biggest challenge to date – bringing the much-loved animated Japanese character Totoro to life for a live action stage show.

This interview was first broadcast on 28th February 2024

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Tommy Dixon

(Photo: Basil Twist and Stickman in front of the city skyline. Copyright: Christophe l'Oiseau)

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