The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare the Freak

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. 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. Macabre, witty and oddly beautiful, this is a unique and affecting show from one of the country’s most distinctive and talented young puppetry companies.

Created through collaboration with pathologist Dr Alan Bates, Bristol University's Medical Humanities programme, and an academic advisory panel. Accompanied by related public engagement event Performing the Freak: a dialogue between theatre and science about monstrosity.

• http://www.wattleanddaub.co.uk/tarrare