Spare Parts Puppet Theatre has announced a new era of bold ambition with the appointment of Iain Grandage AM as artistic director, effective January 2027. The decision follows Philip Mitchell's announcement in November that he would step down after leading the company since 2001, prompting a comprehensive international search for his successor.
Grandage's Impressive Credentials
Grandage is a celebrated Australian composer and music director, having earned numerous accolades throughout his career. He recently completed a five-year tenure as artistic director of Perth Festival, where he curated programs with a strong emphasis on Noongar artists and stories, alongside epic-scale events. His artistic leadership and extensive network of Australian and international artists will enable him to create opportunities and build on the contemporary puppetry company's reputation for inventive and imaginative storytelling, which spans more than 45 years.
Grandage's connection to puppet theatre runs deep, having contributed to Spare Parts Puppet Theatre works over the past two decades. He composed for Midnight Gang in 2003 with legendary puppeteer Noriko Nishimoto and worked on The Whale in 2024, the company's newest large-scale marionette production.
“I’ve been lucky enough to occasionally be a part of creating works for Spare Parts over the past three decades, and each experience has made me more convinced than ever of the brilliant possibilities puppetry offers,” Grandage said. “Not only the possibilities, but the way they are made. To have the opportunity to help lead a team but also to be in rehearsal rooms with artists, imagining the most creative way to bring an idea to life makes this a hugely exciting job.”
Vision for the Future
Grandage will guide Spare Parts Puppet Theatre into its next chapter as the company moves from its spiritual home in Fremantle to a new purpose-built venue at Claremont Showground. He will continue his role as chief curator at Melbourne Recital Centre alongside his new position, working with creative collaborators skilled in design, performance practice, and creative learning.
“My approach will be deeply collaborative,” Grandage said. “I’ll be one voice of many in creating and imagining works, inviting artists not only from around our city but puppeteers from across the globe to create beautiful stories in our new theatre or in public spaces.” He added that he has spent much of his life writing music in collaborative environments for theatre, film, and dance, and looks forward to contributing to in-theatre shows. “Previous artistic director Philip Mitchell leaves a rich legacy of wonderful work, and I’m eager to both acknowledge and build on that inheritance.”
Puppetry as Universal Language
Grandage views puppetry not as a niche art form but as a universal language, and his vision is to amplify that loudly and joyfully. He wants Spare Parts Puppet Theatre to be present at major moments on Western Australia's cultural calendar, embedded in festivals and communities across the state as a driving creative force.
“Beyond those big public splashes, I want the company to be answerable to the full breadth of our community, from the child encountering their first story told by a puppet, to older generations recognising their own memories reflected back to them,” he said. “At this moment of division and uncertainty in the world, I’d love our company to create works of hope and compassion, works that remind us to be grateful for all this beautiful place offers.”
