When and where is Pinocchio set?

The glorious part of working in the Globe Theatre is that it’s a space which comes with a lot of character. Most theatres are black boxes, waiting for design elements to fill them, but the Globe comes with its own world, its own objects, and its own visuals.

Our Pinocchio is partly set in the Globe itself, but in a magical, chocolate-box version of the theatre. I was inspired by beautiful Victorian paper theatres – toys that are puppeteered by the children playing with them.

All of which is to say – our Pinocchio is set in 1880s Italy, but it’s also set in a Victorian child’s paper toy version of the Globe.

Can you tell us about your designs for some of Pinocchio‘s well-loved characters?

Let’s start with Giacomo Cricket. Continuing with the theme that we’re in a ‘pop-up book’ version of the Globe, writer Charlie Josephine’s brilliant script paints a lot of the more recognisable characters as deliciously camp British ‘Luvvies’. By which I mean they’re all theatrical, and quite partial to doin’ a bit o’ Shakespeare.

Giacomo is the first anthropomorphised show-off that we meet, so it felt right that we fully embrace the Elizabethan aesthetic for his character. Plus cricket pads… Because of course, he’s a British Cricket.

On to Cat and Fox, my favourite characters from the original story. The theme of anthropomorphised actors continues and is most apparent with these two.

I tried to make Fox’s costume as grand and over-the-top as possible. Like all good con-men, his costume exudes a level of status (including an admiral’s hat) that doesn’t match his actual circumstances.

Cat is very much modelled on my own Stella: an abundance of fabric/fur, creating a diaphanous cuddly cloud, a shape emphasised by disproportionately tiny feet/paws.

Last but by no means least, our glorious Blue Fairy. Her performer tendencies are more cabaret singer than Shakespearean actor, so we wanted to give her all the glamour and beauty of an old-school soprano, but with the grittiness of a 2000s jazz singer (hence the Winehouse Beehive). She’s also got a bit of Wicked about her – Elphaba’s unusual skintone, and Glinda’s layered petal dress, the perfect combination of ‘tally ho, stiff upper lip’ and ‘I’m going to rip your head off’. Hopefully the end result will be equal parts dazzling and terrifying.

And how about Pinocchio himself?

Pinocchio is an absolutely stunning bunraku puppet made by our puppet designer and director Peter O’Rourke. He’s one of many beautiful puppets in the show designed by Peter. But I don’t want to give too much away for now… The best way to get to know him is to see him in action on stage.

What excites you most about making this show?

The thing that excites me most is how we’ve been able, and encouraged, to create a complete world. Often designers have to find the logic behind a world – “What’s a period-accurate wine bottle?” or “What type of chair would they use in this location”, for example. But in Pinocchio’s fantasy world, where a rabbit and a snail are besties and sugar turns children into donkeys, finding the logic weirdly becomes much easier. The logic is: this is fun. That colour looks fun. That wine bottle is most fun. The location is in the audience’s heads, and that’s a joyous place to design.

Pinocchio plays in the Globe Theatre, from 29 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. 

FINIS.