The tenth anniversary tour of a darkly funny and sharply political tale of a puppet navigating society and disability rights
Directed by Ben Pettitt-Wade
Touring Wales and England 23 January – 5 June 2026
“The humour here is brilliantly black with mordant social and political relevance. ” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Herald (on Meet Fred)
Created and performed by an inclusive ensemble of disabled and non-disabled artists, Meet Fred returns for a 34-venue tour for its tenth anniversary, using the story of a two-foot-tall puppet to interrogate how society restricts independence for those who don’t fit its norms.
At the heart of the show is Fred, a cloth puppet who wants to live an ordinary life: find love, get a job and be part of society. But when his Puppetry Living Allowance is threatened, his world begins to unravel. Blending dark humour, mesmerising puppetry and sharp political commentary, Meet Fred offers a subversive examination of bureaucracy, disability rights and what it means to be human. More than a decade after its premiere, the show remains urgently relevant, reflecting ongoing debates and budget cuts surrounding inclusion, independence, and disability rights.
Since 2016, Meet Fred has toured extensively across the UK and internationally, performing in more than 20 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America. Featuring three exceptional learning disabled and/or Autistic performers from Welsh company Hijinx, who devised the production along with puppetry experts Blind Summit, to demonstrate the power of inclusive collaboration and the creative impact of lived experience.
Director Ben Pettitt-Wade said, “We could not have dreamed when we created Meet Fred back in 2016 that it would have taken us across the world, on so many adventures. At the time of making the show many of the artists we made the show with were facing cuts to their disability benefits, an experience which they brought into the room and ultimately became reflected in the struggle we see faced by Fred. With the threat of cuts to disability benefits again hanging in the balance, Meet Fred is a call to arms for anyone who has fought, and is fighting, against a system not designed for them, as vital now as it ever was.”
Hijinx Actor Lindsay Spellman and original Meet Fred cast member, said, “Being part of Meet Fred has changed me a lot as a performer and as a person. When I started, I didn’t have the same confidence I do now. Touring for so long has taught me so many skills — performing in different places, meeting new people, getting paid and managing that money, learning to travel and work as a team. I’ve grown so much, and I don’t think I’d have found that anywhere else. I’m really proud to still be part of this show, and I can’t wait to bring it home. We’ve done a lot around the world — now our friends and families here in the UK can finally see what all the fuss is about!”
Hijinx is an award-winning, inclusive theatre company based in Cardiff, creating bold, outstandingly entertaining productions. The company exists to break down barriers to the arts, and all its productions are devised with and feature learning disabled and/or autistic performers alongside neurotypical performers. To support this work, Hijinx runs a network of Academies across Wales, offering professional performance training to learning disabled and/or autistic actors—many of whom face significant barriers to accessing traditional drama schools. These actors are represented on Hijinx's casting platform, www.hijinxactors.co.uk, the UK’s largest casting platform dedicated to actors with learning disabilities and/or autism. In 2024, it established The Ensemble, a selection of Academy members who research and develop future production concepts and potentially bring these ideas to life, ensuring that every show is built on genuine talent, collaboration, and equality. Hijinx also offers a Wales-wide network of community performance projects through Hijinx PAWB, runs a biennial international inclusive arts festival, Unity Festival, creates short films with Hijinx Actors, and trains businesses to communicate effectively with clients, customers and staff with learning disabilities and/or autism.
Based in London, Blind Summit is recognised as one of the UK’s most exciting puppetry companies, acclaimed for productions such as The Table and Citizen Puppet. The company frequently collaborates with organisations including Complicité and ENO. Hijinx first connected with Blind Summit in April 2014, when the company was invited to lead a week-long puppetry workshop for Hijinx’s Academy Actors in Cardiff.
Running Time: 85 mins| Suitable for ages 14+ (contains strong language, adult themes and puppet nudity)
Supported by Arts Council Wales and Arts Council England.
