Javert was commissioned by Hartlepool Borough Council and his very first outing was for Halloween 2019, where he led the parade in Church Street, Hartlepool.

Javert is a very special monkey; this was the first time we had incorporated movement into a lantern.  A challenge for us to combine both puppet construction skills and lantern making abilities!

Whilst he was coming to life, we had to make many adjustments, the legs had to be re-sized once we had added the legs, as the scale was just not right. Even with all the sketching, designing and planning, sometimes things need adjusting as you go.

All our creations have their own personalities and even though we had spent so much time building his head, it wasn’t until early movement trials that he actually made eye contact with us for the first time. This is the best bit for us, when we see the puppets come to life and their personalities shine out.

Javert requires 3x puppeteers and has the following special features:

·      Lights up 

·      Articulated arms

Please note:   Despite his sea faring ways, Javert is best suited to dry days (or nights)