The Depraved Appetite Of Terrare The Freak

A Chamber Opera by Tom and Tobi Poster.
Directed by Sita Calvert-Ennals.
Story in collaboration with Hattie Naylor.
Production Design by Rebecca Wood.
Puppet Design by Wattle and Daub.

After sell-out performances at Bristol Festival of Puppetry and Suspense 2015, this extravagantly grotesque puppet opera returns to Tobacco Factory Theatres.

The history of this monster is as curious as his habits disgusting.

A monstrous chamber opera for puppets based on the true story of Tarrare the Freak, an 18th century French revolutionary spy with an insatiable appetite for live cats, snakes, and the occasional amputated limb. Tarrare’s grizzly story ends on the autopsy table – a defining moment in medical history.

Featuring over twenty puppets, a male soprano, virtuosic musicians and a thrilling original score by internationally renowned pianist and composer Tom Poster, The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare the Freak tells the extraordinary true story of one man’s quest to be human in a world that sees him as a monster. Tarrare was a diagnosed polyphagist (someone with an excessive desire to eat) and from his beginnings as a sideshow freak in 18th century Paris to his service as a spy during the French Revolution, he lived a life that is as compelling as it is unbelievable.

Macabre, witty and oddly beautiful, The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare the Freak is a unique and affecting show from one of the country’s most distinctive and talented new puppetry companies.

Recommended for ages 12 and over.