The joint creative venture of Shep and Chris, Fuzzy Lightbulb, has had an exciting first year specializing in puppets and character design in the UK.
Like any new creative business, setting things up has involved long days, hard graft, moments of doubt, and plenty of problem-solving — balanced by genuine successes and a hugely positive response. The reception to Fuzzy Lightbulb so far has been overwhelmingly joyful, and that enthusiasm has been very much returned.
The past few years have been undeniably tough for the arts and creative industries. The rapid rise of AI has left many companies either over-embracing it at the cost of creative jobs, or resisting it entirely and struggling to stay competitive. Add to that the cost-of-living crisis, rising business costs, shrinking budgets, industry pinch points, and high-profile writers’ and performers’ strikes, and it’s fair to say the creative sector has taken a serious beating.
But there are signs of change.
We’re beginning to see a renewed appetite for ambitious, immersive, tangible live experiences — the kind that put people, craft, and storytelling back at the centre. The UK is also on the cusp of major transformation within the themed entertainment and attractions sector, with Universal Studios breaking ground and the long-anticipated planning of Puy du Fou. These developments point towards a future that feels more optimistic, more experiential, and more creatively rich.
That future is something we’re genuinely excited about.
As our first year draws to a close at alarming speed, we thought it was a good moment to share some of what we’ve been working on — or at least, some of the projects we’re allowed to talk about.
Fuzzy Lightbulb has been featured by Experience UK , Planet Attractions and Blooloop, and we’ve appeared on industry podcasts including Before the Applause and Getting Notes From, sharing insight into our approach to character, storytelling, and live entertainment.
Over the past year, Shep has overseen and produced a number of productions and guest experiences with Warner Hotels, continuing his work in large-scale live entertainment and experiential design.
Chris has worked across several major film and television projects as a creature designer, maker, and puppeteer. These include the upcoming J.J. Abrams film The Geat Beyond (Warner Bros), followed by Star Wars: Starfighter (Lucasfilm, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling), and the new Chronicles of Narnia film for Netflix, directed by Greta Gerwig. On screen, Chris appears in ITVX’s Play Time comedy pilot, working alongside puppets and fellow comedians with SEND children to create a play. His work can also be seen in the CBBC comedy Pickle Storm, whose final episodes have now launched on BBC iPlayer. Most recently, a new Sneak Energy campaign featuring a puppet mascot created by Chris has gone live.
Internationally, we’ve collaborated with The Land of Legends theme park in Turkey, and have just launched a set of beautiful new puppets for Away Resorts, created for their live entertainment programme.
Behind the scenes, we’ve also been developing entirely new large-scale character propositions — original IP designed to be hireable, rentable, and buyable. There’s much more to come on this front, but for now we’re staying respectfully schtum.
We’re currently working with P&O Cruises on an entirely new entertainment project for younger guests onboard their ships.
Meanwhile, Alice in Wonderland (produced by Dem Productions and Broadway Haus), featuring our puppets, enjoyed a successful summer run at the Marylebone Theatre, has been nominated for an Offie Award for Best Production, and will return to London this Easter at Riverside Studios.
So… what’s next?
We’re focused on continuing to grow Fuzzy Lightbulb thoughtfully, collaborating with more of our favourite creatives, and developing projects that put character, craft, and joyful storytelling at the heart of live entertainment. There are several exciting possibilities in the pipeline, but as ever, NDAs and contracts mean we’ll share details as soon as we’re able.
There may also be a studio move and expansion on the horizon — so watch this space.
Things are looking bright. Do keep an eye on this site and our social channels as we head into 2026 with curiosity, momentum, and all the lights very much switched on.
Fuzzy Lightbulb 2025 Milestones:
- Film Credits: Star Wars: Starfighter, The Chronicles of Narnia (Netflix), Ghost Writer.
- TV Credits: Pickle Storm (CBBC), Play Time (ITVX), Sneak Energy.
- Industry Features: Blooloop, Experience UK, Audience With Podcast.
- Specialisms: CGI-to-physical translation, SEND-inclusive performance, and modular theme park engineering.
- Resort and Theme Park Clients: P and O, Away Resorts, Land of LEgends, Warner Hotels