Agent
Assistant
Biography
Mervyn was a Creative Associate for the National Theatre’s War Horse, having been involved in the creative team since its inception and directing casts in London, New York, Toronto and Berlin. He was Artistic Director of Handspring UK and has a longstanding association with Handspring Puppet Company in Cape Town. His awards include a Herald Angel Award and a Total Theatre Award (both for his collaboration with Kazuko Hohki, Evidence for the Existence of Borrowers). In 2010 Mervyn was awarded an Arts Foundation Fellowship; in 2015 he made a TEDx talk about puppetry and the imagination; and in 2018 Puppetry: How To Do It was published by Nick Hern Books.
★ ★ ★ ★
the puppet (the creation of Mervyn Millar and Tracy Waller) is the star of the evening
The Times on The Magician’s Elephant (RSC)
a puppet you’ll never forget
The Guardian on The Magician’s Elephant
Gallery
Credits
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO 2025 |
Gillian Lynne Theatre/Royal Shakespeare Company/Joe Hisaishi |
Associate Puppetry Director |
|
MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO 2022 – 2023 |
Royal Shakespeare Company (Barbican Theatre)/Joe Hisaishi |
Associate Puppetry Director |
|
THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT 2021 |
Royal Shakespeare Company (RST) |
Puppetry Director and Co-Puppetry Designer |
|
SHOE LADY 2020 |
Royal Court (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs) |
Puppetry Consultant |
|
AS YOU LIKE IT 2019 |
Royal Shakespeare Company |
Puppetry Director and Co-Designer |
|
CIRCUS 1903 2018 |
Royal Festival Hall |
Puppetry Designer and Director |
|
WO DE XIAO HUO BAN 2018 |
Sa Dingding / Zhong Zhe |
Puppetry Designer and Director |
|
PETER PAN 2017 |
Schauspielhaus Zürich |
Puppetry Designer and Director |
|
CIRCUS 1903 2016 – 2018 |
Asia Live Network |
Puppetry Designer and Director |
|
DIE BRUDER LOWENHERZ 2014 |
Schauspielhaus Zürich | |
|
JAMES II 2014 |
National Theatre of Scotland/National Theatre of Great Britain | |
|
WAR HORSE 2013 |
National Theatre/Handspring |
Stage Theater des Westens, Berlin. Associate Puppetry Director. |
|
STILLER 2013 |
Residenz Theater Munich |
Co-director |
|
CROW 2012 |
Handspring UK |
Director |
|
WAR HORSE 2012 |
National Theatre/Handspring |
Prince of Wales Theater, Toronto. Associate Puppetry Director. |
|
WAR HORSE 2011 |
National Theatre/Handspring |
Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York. Associate Puppetry Director. |
|
GET SANTA! 2010 |
Royal Court |
Written and directed by Anthony Neilson. |
|
THE SECRET GARDEN 2009 |
West Yorkshire Playhouse |
Dir. Ian Brown. |
|
WAR HORSE 2009 |
National Theatre/Handspring |
New London Theatre. Associate Puppetry Director. |
|
THE MOTHER SHIP 2008 |
Birmingham Rep |
Dir. Ben Payne |
|
WAR HORSE 2007 |
National Theatre/Handspring |
Olivier Theatre. Associate Puppetry Director. |
|
JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH 2006 |
Bolton Octagon |
Dir. Sarah Esdaile |
|
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 2006 |
RSC |
Dir. Nancy Meckler. Stratford, West End and Tour. |
|
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW 2006 |
ATG |
Dir. Chris Luscombe. National Tour and West End. |
|
THE ODYSSEY 2006 |
Lyric Hammersmith |
Dir. David Farr. |
|
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 2005 |
Cheek By Jowl/RSC |
Dir. Declan Donnellan. |
|
THE MAGIC CARPET 2005 |
Lyric Hammersmith/Bristol Old Vic |
Dir. David Farr |
|
THE ODYSSEY 2005 |
Bristol Old Vic |
Dir. David Farr |
|
UNFOLDING ANDERSEN 2004 |
British Library |
Theatre-Rites. Dir Sue Buckmaster and Mervyn Millar. |
|
THE WONDERFUL LIFE AND MISERABLE DEATH OF THE RENOWNED MAGICIAN DOCTOR FAUSTUS 2004 |
NT Education |
Dir. Rebecca Gould and Mervyn Millar. |
|
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS 2003 |
BAC |
Dir. Carl Heap |
|
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS 2002 |
BAC/Liverpool Playhouse |
Dir. Phil Wilmott |
|
THE LITTLE TEMPEST 2002 |
NT Education |
Dir. Rebecca Gould |
|
THE LUSIADS 2001 |
wireframe/The Museum Of |
Dir. Mervyn Millar |
|
UNCLE EBENEZER: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 2000 |
BAC |
Dir. Phil Wilmott |
|
AT HOME 1999 |
wireframe |
Dir. Mervyn Millar. Tour. |
|
THE SOUND OF MUSIC 1997 |
BAC |
Dir. Phil Wilmott |
|
THE SECRET GARDEN 2010 |
Birmingham Rep |
Revival. Dir. Ian Brown. |
Opera
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
SIEGFRIED 2009 |
Opera National du Rhin (Strasbourg) |
Dir. David McVicar. |
|
THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD 2008 |
Royal Opera House (Linbury Studio) |
Dir. Will Tuckett. |
|
DIE WALKURE 2008 |
Opera National du Rhin (Strasbourg) |
Dir. David McVicar. |
|
AIDA 2021 |
Opéra national de Paris |
Puppetry Designer and Director |
Other
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
PUPPETRY: HOW TO DO IT 2018 |
Nick Hern Books |
Published July 2018 |
|
APPRECIATE 2014 |
Paul McCartney |
Music video |
