Bamboo has much in common with Kneehigh Theatre, who maintain a locally based presence in Cornwall in addition to their wider touring work. The company is based in a building in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, originally the Liberal Club, but which is now called 'The Boo'. This was the name, a diminutive form of 'Horse and Bamboo', by which the company was commonly known locally. The Boo was renamed Horse and Bamboo in 2022, however. Productions Horse + Bamboo Theatre creates its own material, occasionally in collaboration with other artists and writers, with the majority of its productions made by the core team of artists. Its hallmark is in creating sustained theatrical narratives without the use of dialogue, as well as the use of full-head masks and puppetry. Film, music and dance are often integrated within the company's productions. The work that they create is uncompromising in terms of artistry and subject matter. The artistic directors Bob Frith and Alison Duddle create work to which they bring the passion of great artists - emotionally powerful, beautiful to look at, laced with humour and pathos that reaches out to audiences, and one more thing that is quite difficult to describe. It is a roughness, an absence of slick polish and finish in the design. A deliberate roughing of the edges which contrasts with the beautiful precision of the performance and the soundscoring. Watching and being involved in a Horse and Bamboo performance, we as the audience aren't allowed to forget that this is an event that is being hewed from the wood, metal, paper, cloth, paint and bodies of flesh and blood in front of our eyes. It brings the moment into focus for us. Horse and Bamboo isn't a puppetry company, but it does use puppets. From what I've seen, puppets are mixed in for either stylistic or semiotic reasons, or both at the same time. Touring For the first two decades Horse + Bamboo toured using horse-drawn transport. These productions started as outdoor shows, and moved into a marquee after four years. Eventually the company began to create shows that played in village halls and other community centres. The performers walked about 400 miles each season, living in tents and cooking on open fires. Horse-drawn touring took place in England, Scotland, Ireland, Hungary and Slovakia. Now the company tours its productions throughout the UK, and has also toured in Spain,