Craig Leo

Craig Leo is a South African theatre designer, puppeteer and performing artist. Leaving university to begin working in theatre, he trained in circus arts, performing with The Zip Zap Circus and then a lead role in the Sun City Circus Extravaganza, Baletsatsi. Collaborating with colleagues, he formed the acrobatic theatre company ‘Myth’, touring both Austria and Germany. As performer and designer, he's has worked with top South African theatre makers as both designer and performer. Magnet Theatre, Jazzart Dance Theatre, Mothertongue Project, Janni Younge Productions and The Handspring Puppet Company. Productions include Medea, Bolero, Rain in a Dead Man’s Footprints, Cargo, Partly God, The Flower of Shembe, I Turned Away and She Was Gone, City of Paradise, The Firebird and Womb of Fire, Heart of Redness, The Visit and Antigone (not quite/queit) and Snapped. His collaboration with The Handspring Puppet Company includes Tall Horse, Il Ritorno d’Ulisse for William Kentridge, Franco Dragone’s House of the Dancing Water, War Horse, Or I'll Kiss You and Olifantland. Craig has continued his relationship with The National Theatre as Associate Director of Puppetry for War Horse. Most recently Craig designed and directed the puppetry for Elliot Harper's, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, directed by Sally Cookson for The Leeds Playhouse and The Bridge Theatre in London. As performer, his recent work Includes Gyre and Gimble's Vivaldi's Four Season Re-Imagined for The Shakespeare's Globe, London. He's currently puppetry director for The Walk, a Good Chance/Handspring collaboration for Europe 2021. Craig Is also currently the lead puppeteer in The Life and Times of Michael K, an adaptation of the J M Coetzee novel in collaboration with Theater der Welt, Handspring Puppet Company and the Baxter Theatre.