"Death knows many tunes. A slip-jig for every slaughter, a ditty for every demise’’

Death plays the violin – perhaps you knew that? A young carpenter stumbles upon Death in the woods as he practises. The accident becomes a fatal encounter – he has seen Death but cannot die until the tune ends. In limbo, he strikes a bargain with Death. If Death can finish the song by sunset, he will claim the carpenter’s life for himself. If Death fails, the man will go free. Playing for time, the carpenter grapples with fate, free will and mortality as he gets drawn into a deadly game.

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Journey into a macabre world where death has a voice you don’t want to hear. This enthralling production from Parrot Theatre Company is a striking new folk tale featuring stunning puppetry, storytelling and live music.

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Following a highly successful tour of the show across Kent and Sussex in Autumn 2023, Parrot Theatre Company have developed the production in partnership with Canterbury Christchurch University and now return with a brand new performance run of Death and the Carpenter. Previous productions byParrot Theatre Company also include a sell-out run of Talk at Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2019) and a sold-out production of Macbeth in The Westgate Towers, Canterbury (2022).