Bagpuss 50th anniversary to be celebrated with special concert

By John Freeman on October 11, 2024

Iconic animation character Bagpuss turned 50 this year, and now’s your chance to celebrate the beloved saggy old cloth cat with a special concert at Cecil Sharp House in London, from the creators of the iconic folk soundtrack.

Join Madeleine the Rag Doll, Gabriel the Toad, Emily and Professor Yaffle in a fun-filled “Bagpuss at 50” show featuring songs and music from the hugely popular TV show, on Saturday 26th October 2024.

Wake up the saggy old cloth cat and enter the enchanted shop where songs and stories are brought to life by Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner – writers of the Bagpuss music and the voices of Madeleine and Gabriel (and several mice!) from the 13-episode TV series created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, first broadcast on the BBC in 1974, with Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, award-winning duo at the forefront of the folk world. (We celebrated the show’s launch back in February here).

There are plenty of chances to join in, with action songs, chants – “Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss” – and heave on the Marvellous Mechanical Mouse Organ! Come dressed as your favourite Bagpuss character or wear a mouse mask (provided) to really feel part of the fun.

This show’s warm and colourful presentation is perfect for children of all ages – including the grown up ones!

The remastered show was re-released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2023 by Fabulous Films, a long standing UK/US distributor specialising in classic and cult television, and is available to stream on ITVX, plus iTunes, Amazon and more.

Cecil Sharp House is home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society. They champion folk music and dance at the heart of cultural life, all across England.

• Bagpuss at 50 4.00 – 7.30pm Saturday 26th October 2024, Cecil Sharp House, London Tickets: £9 Under 11│£12 12-18 years old │£18 Adult │Free Personal Assistant ticket with purchase of Access ticket | Book your ticket here

Doors 3.35pm, on stage 4pm – 5pm: The Folk Roots of the Bagpuss Music.’ (A presentation by Sandra on the folk roots of the Bagpuss music)

Break: 5pm – 6pm

Doors 5.30pm, on stage 6pm: ‘Bagpuss at 50 – Music, Songs and Stories’ with Sandra Kerr, John Faulkner, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan

7.15pm: Q&A with all, and possible song to finish.

Further Reading…

• Happy 50th Birthday, Bagpuss! A chance to celebrate, in a good cause, new merchandise and more – downthetubes, February 12th 2024

• Coolabi: Bagpuss Page

• Bagpuss on Facebook | Bagpuss on X

• The Horsebridge: Smallfilms Talks by Simon Postgate

• BBC: The History of Bagpuss

• The I: Bagpuss at 50: The show that revolutionised children’s TV

Instead of cheerful ‘Play School’ reassurance, Julia Raeside feels, ‘Bagpuss’ offered a curious unease, stories with no obvious moral postscript, music played on uncommon instruments

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.