ACMI presents
Puppet Master: In Conversation With Dave Barclay
Tickets
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When
18 Nov 2026
6.30pm
Join Dave Barclay, one of the legends of on-screen puppetry talking about his career and most famous creations.
Join us as for this in-conversation event as Dave shares stories from his career on screen and life in puppetry, exploring his artistic philosophy, process and vision for bringing a host of iconic characters to life. He will also share how evolving technology across the years has helped to shape practical on-screen puppetry and craft a world of lifelike creations.
Dave Barclay is a master puppeteer whose work has been on the cutting edge of animatronic puppetry. He has brought creations to life for over 40 years.
His career in puppetry was something of a family affair, with Dave being the second generation of professional puppeteers within the family.
Dave’s career began on The Empire Strikes Back, where he joined the Yoda build crew and was later selected by Frank Oz to fully operate the character. He went on to serve as chief puppeteer for Jabba the Hutt, and collaborated with Oz on Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and Little Shop of Horrors. Dave was chief puppeteer on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and an Academy Award finalist for Cats & Dogs with further credits including The Muppets and Stuart Little 2. He currently brings the Coyote to life in Coyote vs. Acme and is the author of My Life With Animatronics: Movies, Puppets and Beyond.
About the speaker
Dave Barclay
Catch Dave’s latest performance in theaters now! His mastery of puppetry can be seen in the highly anticipated film Coyote vs. Acme as he brings the Coyote himself to life.
Dave is currently celebrating the release of his autobiography My Life With Animatronics. Movies, Puppets and Beyond!
A second generation puppeteer, David Barclay was hired by Lucasfilm and Stuart Freeborn to work on The Empire Strikes Back as part of the Yoda build crew. While on set, one of the assistants to Frank Oz, the chief puppeteer for Yoda, became ill and David was selected to replace her. In doing so, he started a career as one of the most sought after puppeteers in both Hollywood and England.
Not only did David get to assist Frank Oz on Yoda, but he also received the opportunity to fully operate the Yoda puppet for a week when Frank was forced to return to his work on Sesame Street and Frank nominated David to take over as chief puppeteer. His many accomplishments on The Empire Strikes Back were not forgotten as he was chosen to be chief puppeteer for the most disgusting creature in the Star Wars universe, the galactic gangster Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.
David’s work in these two memorable films lead to a further collaboration with Frank Oz in Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and Little Shop of Horrors. His growing resume enabled David to garner a coveted position as chief puppeteer for the Amblin film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.
He became Academy Award Finalist for his work on Cats and Dogs and has worked on dozens of films including Muppet Christmas Carol, Lost in Space, The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas, Snow Dogs, Stuart Little 2, Team America, Looney Tunes Back in Action, Cats and Dogs 2, The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted and Where The Wild Things Are.
