-by Beverley Phillips
Festival Antigonish invites young audiences into a joyful world of puppetry, theatrical magic and play, July 29th to August 8th.
Give a child an empty room, a blanket or a cardboard box and it can become almost anything.
Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre celebrates that same limitless capacity for imagination in The Biggest Little House in the Forest, a joyful family production filled with puppetry, theatrical transformation and play, running July 29th to August 8th at the Bauer Theatre.
Based on the book by Djemma Bider and adapted for the stage by Rosanna Staffa, the play begins when Bernice the Butterfly discovers a little abandoned house in the forest and decides to make it home. Soon she is joined by a mouse, a frog, a rabbit, and a rooster. But when one very large bear arrives, everyone must decide whether there can possibly be room for one more.
The festival’s season materials describe it as “a joyful puppet adventure about friendship, generosity, and the magic of making room for one more.” But the magic of this production also lies in how that story is told.
One performer – returning Festival Antigonish artist Rachel Lloyd – brings the forest and its many inhabitants to life, shifting between characters and working with puppets to create an entire theatrical world in front of the audience.
It is an approach that reflects something young children instinctively understand – that one person, given enough imagination, can become everyone in the story.
“I am thrilled to welcome Rachel back to Festival Antigonish as the solo performer (or solo human performer anyway!) in The Biggest Little House in the Forest. She’s a dynamic, unique performer with tons of heart. I am also delighted to be able to hire a former student from my Mount Alison days! I have followed her career since she graduated, and have been so impressed by her initiative, as well as her thoughtful and innovative approach to theatre creation. Both of these talented artists have trained extensively in puppetry, and they also embody the themes of this play – inclusion, belonging, and community. And let’s talk about those adorable puppets created by Cheryl Kelly!” – Andrea Boyd, artistic director – Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre
“I really enjoyed working with Rachel Lloyd as she brings to life so many distinct characters. Puppetry is very reminiscent of how we all played as children, we breathe life into our most beloved objects and set them off on adventures. I loved finding the moments in between the words.”– Franziska Glen, director
Glen is a co-founder of Gale Force Theatre and has worked with companies including Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, River Clyde Arts, Satellite Théâtre, and Ship’s Company Theatre. Her directorial work includes While We Wait, a production for young audiences about navigating change.
At the centre of The Biggest Little House in the Forest is Rachel Lloyd, whose Festival Antigonish appearances include Gollum in The Hobbit, Marian in Robin Hood: The Great Escape and Crystal in Ben Hur. Her professional puppetry credits also include work with Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia and Theatre New Brunswick.
In this production, Lloyd has the unusual task of creating and manipulating a whole collection of personalities while remaining the single human performer carrying the story.
“It has definitely been a challenge to find and maintain seven distinct characters, it is a workout for the brain that had me mixing up their voices in rehearsal and focusing so much on who the puppet characters were that I forgot that I was a character too since often when I’m a puppeteer, I am not. It’s been a gift as well to get to discover who they are through the script and the puppets themselves. As a puppeteer there is no greater joy to me than when a puppet finally comes to life in my hands, when I find what they can do and how that particular puppet expresses themselves, so getting to do that with six puppets even though it was overwhelming at times was also so fun and exciting!”– Rachel Lloyd, puppeteer and narrator.
The visual life of that world is being created by set and puppet designer Cheryl Kelly, with costume design by Robyn Bixby, and music by Victor Zupanc. Savannah Borden serves as stage manager.
Together, the team is building a production intended to engage children through movement, character, colour, puppetry and the pleasure of watching seemingly simple things become something extraordinary.
Festival Antigonish has scheduled performances at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., making the production particularly accessible for families, summer camps, childcare programs, and youth groups.
The production is created with young children and families in mind and offers an accessible introduction to live theatre: a clear story, playful characters, puppetry, and an imaginative world that unfolds directly in front of the audience.
Festival Antigonish’s 2026 Season Partners are The Maples, MacLeod Group, and East Coast Credit Union.
As the Festival’s Season Youth & Engagement Partner, East Coast Credit Union also supports the East Coast Credit Union Youth Ticket, making tickets available for $15 for youth ages 15 and under.
The initiative is part of Festival Antigonish’s commitment to making professional live theatre accessible to young people and encouraging families to experience theatre together.
For The Biggest Little House in the Forest, that invitation feels especially fitting: a chance for children to enter a theatre and discover that a stage, a performer, a puppet, and an idea can become an entire world.