Penny Bernand was a visual artist and theatre maker who had a profound and lasting impact on the artists she worked with and the wider theatre world, especially the children’s theatre sector.
She founded Quicksilver Theatre (originally Theatre of Thelema) in 1979 and in 1982 with Mike Dalton set up Pop-Up Theatre. Both companies were established with the aim of creating quality theatre for young audiences.
Her next and final trailblazing company was Theatre-Rites which she founded in 1995 launching with the seminal Houseworks in 1996. She wanted children to have opportunities to experience theatre that merged disciplines, created in unusual spaces and at times explored challenging themes. Her legacy lives on and is at the heart of Theatre-Rites work.
For the Guardian’s tribute to Penny – “her imagination and energy revolutionised children’s theatre” – please click here.