Young Critics Collective: Meet Fred

Meet Fred, presented by Hijinx theatre in association with Blind Summit, introduces Fred, a cloth puppet whose story reflects the struggles people living with disabilities face day to day. Fred is animated by an expert team of three puppeteers, who for the production I had the pleasure of seeing were Nicholas Halliwell, Jennie Rawling and Llŷr Williams. The amount of emotion and humanity they were able to give to Fred was incredible, and the entire audience was fully invested in his story.

Accessibility is a central theme of the show, in terms of content and delivery. To be as accessible as possible, outside of the performance the show offers trigger warnings, a soundscape indicating where loud noises occur, and even a replica of the mind maps used in the show that includes braille headings. Moreover, during the show, subtitles are displayed on a screen above the stage in tandem with the action. Unfortunately, sometimes these subtitles became slightly out of sync with what was being said, plus they would not reflect the shorter phrases or exclamations the performer voicing Fred would make. Whilst this did not detract from the main performance, it felt like an element of what made Fred so ‘alive’ was somewhat lost in translation. Nonetheless, all these adaptations to help people engage with the show illustrate how Hijinx champion accessibility and consider practical adjustments accordingly.

This theme of accessibility extends into the performance, emerging as its dominant discussion, with Fred’s struggles clearly becoming a metaphor for the everyday struggles and challenges faced by the disabled community. Fred is entirely reliant on his puppeteers, who are funded by his Puppetry Living Allowance, this undoubtedly an analogy for disability benefits. The performance makes sure to highlight how such benefits operate with illogical rules and conditions. For example, when Fred is incredulous as to why he is not getting paid for his work, the character of the director attempts to explain that paying him could ultimately lead to the loss of his “benefits”, namely his puppeteers. Likewise, when threatened with the loss of one of his puppeteers if he remains unemployed, Fred emphasises how this would only make getting a job harder, but to no avail. Despite the serious nature of the topic, Fred’s pure incredulity as evoked by the puppeteering team, emphasises the use of humour as a way of highlighting the system’s hypocrisies, as the issue is satirised and mocked.

Humour is undoubtedly essential to this production, as Fred’s antics frequently had the audience audibly laughing. Moments of audience interaction were particularly amusing, such as Fred practicing his dating skills on an audience member – to little success. Such humour kept the show enjoyable and entertaining even as the action took on a more serious tone.

The entire performance also demonstrates a distinct self-awareness. For example, Fred becomes aware that he is a puppet in a show about his life earlier on, and later that there is a real world beyond the stage and audience. This allows the show to poke fun at the audience and itself, even saying no one would pay to watch an adult puppet show. Significantly, this self-aware nature also means the criticism of how disability benefits are allocated more impactful, as by frequently breaking the fourth wall, the issue could not become one merely onstage, slightly removed from the real world. Instead, it is kept at the forefront of our minds, its prominence illustrating how it is an issue Hijinx are passionate about promoting.

This is the 10^th anniversary tour of the show. Meet Fred is a hard hitting piece of theatre that still manages to find the comedy in apparently unchanging serious issues by combining expert storytelling and puppetry, whilst presenting a puppet who seems to have a mind of his own. I encourage you all to meet Fred.

Hijinx Theatre’s Meet Fred is one of those rare productions that sneaks up on you. At first glance, it’s a comedy about a foul-mouthed, anxious, cloth-bodied puppet. But beneath the sharp humour and impeccable puppetry lies a quietly devastating commentary on disability, bureaucracy, and the fragile conditions under which people are allowed to live their lives. It’s a show that kneads itself delicately into social issues without ever feeling didactic, wrapping its critique in wit, charm, and a startling amount of heart.

The premise is deceptively simple: Fred, a blank, white puppet, becomes aware that he is a puppet—complete with three visible puppeteers—and begins to unravel the story of his life under the guidance (and often interference) of a director. From the outset, the production establishes a level of maturity that marks it firmly as theatre for adults. It doesn’t pretend the puppeteers aren’t there; instead, it integrates their presence so deeply into the narrative that the audience accepts the paradox: Fred is undeniably a puppet, yet he is also undeniably alive.

This duality becomes the foundation for the show’s most striking metaphor: the Puppetry Living Allowance (PLA), a fictional benefit that Fred risks losing. The parallel to the UK’s Disability Living Allowance is unmistakable. By reframing disability support through the lens of puppetry, Hijinx achieves something ingenious. Fred requires three puppeteers to function—just as many disabled people require multiple carers, tools, or forms of support to live comfortably. When one puppeteer is removed, Fred’s world becomes immediately, visibly harder. The metaphor lands with clarity and compassion: these supports are not luxuries; they are lifelines. And because the show uses a puppet rather than a human body to explore this, it can weave comedy through the narrative without ever feeling exploitative or in bad taste. This clarity of perspective is no coincidence; Hijinx is an openly inclusive theatre company that works with learning-disabled and neurodivergent performers, and their commitment to representation pulses through every choice in Meet Fred.

A defining strength of Meet Fred is its audience interaction, which produces some of the funniest and most unexpectedly tender moments of the evening. Whether selecting individuals for one-to-one exchanges or involving the entire auditorium, the production uses participation not as a gimmick but as a way of collapsing the distance between Fred’s world and ours.

One moment in particular stands out: Fred, mid-breakdown, approaches an audience member to vent about his spiralling life before being abruptly dragged away by the director. It’s comedic, yes, but also painfully real. Because Fred is a metaphor for disability, his reaching out becomes symbolically charged—a moment where the audience is confronted with the rawness of someone asking for help in a system designed to silence them. The laughter catches in the throat.

The audience’s response throughout the performance was overwhelmingly positive. Every joke landed, every emotional beat was met with stillness, and the world of the play felt fully inhabited. Much of this success stems from the production’s design choices: minimal set, simple costuming, multi-rolling, and a stripped-back aesthetic that feels intentional rather than budget-driven. Everything onstage belongs. Everything serves the story. Even in Hijinx’s digital programme, audience comments echoed the same sentiment: this show is clever, compassionate, and beautifully crafted. One particularly commendable aspect of the production is its use of live subtitles displayed above the stage. It’s a clear sign that Hijinx is committed to making theatre accessible. While there were occasional delays or slight mismatches between the subtitles and the performers’ lines—especially during improvised audience interactions—this felt less like a flaw and more like an area for future innovation. Live accessibility tools in theatre are still evolving, and Meet Fred demonstrates both the importance of these efforts and the potential for continued refinement.

Meet Fred is a triumph of craft, compassion, and creative ingenuity. Hijinx Theatre manages to balance biting humour with social critique, all while delivering puppetry that’s so incredibly skilled. The show invites its audience to laugh, to reflect, and—perhaps most importantly—to recognise the humanity embedded in its cloth protagonist. In a cultural landscape where disabled lives are often debated rather than understood, Meet Fred offers a refreshingly empathetic perspective. It’s theatre that entertains, challenges, and lingers long after the final bow