Basil Marriott-Waite
Basil Waite is a puppeteer and puppet builder from sunny South Wales, best known online as 'FopDoodles'. He is founder of 'The OverTheres', a community-focused non-profit created with fellow guild member 'Rosie Cleary' and 'Luke Blight', using puppetry, theatre, and storytelling to build inclusive, welcoming spaces for young people and their families. At the centre of the project are 'Flint and Cookie'- two library-dwelling siblings who explore books (and occasionally cause chaos) in ways that gently reframe how audiences see stories, learning, and themselves.
Originally trained in children’s book illustration, Basil approaches puppets as living illustrations- full of colour, clarity, and personality. From first sketch to final stitch, he enjoys shaping not just the puppet, but the world it belongs to, blending strong visual storytelling with practical, performer-friendly design. His work spans hardy touring puppets, filmed productions, and bespoke collector pieces, all built with thoughtful engineering and a keen awareness of what a puppeteer’s arms will forgive after a long show. Having worked as both a performer and stage manager, he designs characters that feel as good to use as they look on stage.
Performance credits include lead puppeteering roles in children’s theatre productions such as 'Sarah and Duck', 'There’s a Monster in Your Show', and 'The Zookeepers, alongside building characters for theme parks, cabaret, and pantomime. As a neurodivergent, working-class, disabled creative, Basil champions accessible, flexible ways of making and collaborating, because good work (and good stories) should have room for everyone. Still cheerfully early in his career, he’s always up for collaboration, curious projects, and the occasional ambitious idea that may or may not involve felt and ping pong balls... From Spring 2026, he’ll also be sharing short tutorials, tips, and behind-the-scenes builds on YouTube for fellow puppet folk and the puppet-curious alike. You can find him here and here and on social media, for behind the scenes videos.
