Jeff Achtem

Artistic Director / Performer: Swamp Juice

Too impatient to make films, Jeff discovered puppetry as a visual language for live cartoon story-telling.  He draws on a varied background in mime (Omnibus: Montreal), clown (Michel Dallaire: Hangar des Mines, France), mask (Rene Bazinet: Montreal) and puppetry.  On-stage, his productions have traveled the globe, with recent notable visits Off-Broadway (New York City), Soho Theatre (London West End) and across venues in Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, France, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.

The Company of Bunk Puppets

Tim Sneddon

Performer: Sticks Stones Broken Bones

With a background in clowning, puppetry and physical theatre, Tim has worked with The DIG Collective, City Pigeons, and as a puppeteer for Camp Quality. HE also generates experiential theatre projects, and works as a creative director, curator and performer for works that have appeared in White Night (‘12 & ‘13) as well as the independent experimental solo performance festival "Unprovoked".  When not mucking around with puppets, Tim performs with the Melbourne-based theatrical funk ensemble Arthur Penn & the Funky Ten. 

Hamish Fletcher

Performer: Slapdash Galaxy & Tink Tank

Hamish is a versatile puppeteer and puppet maker, & holds a Masters in Puppetry from Victoria College of the Arts. He has trained under Philipe Genty, Mary Underwood, Duda Paiva and Peter Wilson. and worked on a range of productions for ABC television, Sticky Pictures, Super Studios and companies Windmill Theatre, Arena Theatre, Victorian Opera, Men of Steel, MIFF and Circus Oz. He has toured to China, Japan, Malaysia,  UK, Ireland, USA, Singapore, Portugal & Canada.  He has won Best Host at Kidscreen 2012 as Hoot The Owl for ABC and Festival Directors award as part of Men of Steel at Melbourne Int’l Comedy Festival.   He is currently developing an experimental theatre/IRL game called Money = Happiness along with some groundbreaking work with Bunk Puppets.

David Henry

Musician / Original Score: Swamp Juice & new projects

David is a multi-instrumentalist who works across genres.  He records and tours with the tropi-pop Manny Fox, the afro-groove of Papa Chango, and the acclaimed Melbourne Ska Orchestra.  He has performed as part of Australia and NZ’s foremost music festivals, including Byron Bay Blues FestWomad (Australia & New Zealand), & the Australiasian World Music Expo, which led to a Melbourne Ska Orchestra nomination for Best Live Act at the 2014 ARIA awards.  He has also worked sessionally with a range of artists including Dan Sultan, Mick Turner (Dirty Three), and producers from independent label Two Bright Lakes

Belinda Green

Production Manager : Australia

Bindi has extensive tour management experience, touring nationally and internationally with companies such as Polyglot Theatre, My Darling Patricia, Die Roten Punkte Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey.  Based in Melbourne, Bindi has also worked as a Production and Stage Manager for Arts House, Melbourne Festival, Big West, Next Wave, Melbourne Theatre Company & Federation Square. She has especially enjoyed collaborating with artists like Tristan Meecham, one step at a time like this & Aphids, who usher live performance onto new trajectories  Her considerable travels with Bunk Puppets have taken her to Japan, Edinburgh, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore & across all corners of regional Australia.

Kane Forbes 

Production Manager : China / Hong Kong

From of a large theatrical family in Aotearoa NZ, Kane literally grew up in a theatre.  He has performed in, or worked on stage-shows of all scales and has worked as a production designer and manager in theatrical contexts and festival circuits.  Just quietly, Kane is a guitarist with a modest catalogue of original recordings.  He is currently obsessed with Kendo (Japanese Fencing); constructing multi-dimensional projection sculptures; the entire hour of Sleep's "Jerusalem"; and painstakingly reconstructing a 1961 Vauxhall Victor.   When not on tour with Bunk Puppets, Kane is Manager for Performing Arts - Touring at Regional Arts Victoria.

Julian Chapple

Performer : Tink Tank

With background in clown and theatre improvisation, Julian has performed with; ‘Sanctum Theatre’, ‘Compangie Articulate’, ‘Fur, Fat & Feathers - Songs of the South Seas’ Salty Serge, ‘Gherkin Games’ The Village, ‘Monsieur et Madeleine’ Art After Dark at the NGV, ‘In the Field’ Sense of Place Productions, Clench Object Theatre, The Laughter Project, 5 Angry Men, & Snuff Puppets.   As a designer, he has created puppets, installations, sets and props for dozens of theatre companies, festivals and arts events across Australia.

Clare Bartholomew

Creative Consultant: Tink Tank

Clare has been performing, writing and producing new work for 17 years.  Based in Melbourne, she is an experienced clown doctor working in hospital wards for children, for the past 15 years.   Clare is co-producer of the highly successful cabaret / comedy act Die Roten Punkte, a Berlin indie pop punk duo that has toured Australia and had 18 international tours since 2006.  Her work has received 7 Green Room Award nominations, and winner of Best Cabaret.   Clare’s latest venture with bouffon clown group We3 resulted in the critically acclaimed “The Long Pigs”.

Tristan Kelly

Musician / Original Score: Swamp Juice & new projects

Tristan is a singer, guitarist, composer and primary school teacher.  As the front man and songwriter for charismatic party band de jour, Manny Fox, he regularly leads dancefloors to a frenzy.   Recent appearances at : Folk, Rhythm, Life and Renaissance Festival, Brunswick Music Festival.  Tristan’s songs have been recorded by producers Nick Huggins and Joe Hammond, receiving airplay on Triple J, Triple R and PBS.  Manny Fox’s recent single single ‘Harry’ was directed by Brian Cohen at Umbershoot, and premiered on Tonedeaf  in 2014. An earlier Single, Floorboards, received Single of the Week honours at Inpress and was described as ‘a wonderfully woozy affair.’ Tristan also collaborates with Melbourne outfit Hello Satellites on guitar during live shows.

Nick Carver

Musician / Original Score: Swamp Juice & new projects


Nick  plays double bass, ukulele & percussion in The Manny Fox Trio.   A  talented  multi-instrumentalist  & music  educator,  he  has  toured Australia, Canada, Nepal,  Botswana  &  Namibia  in  bands,  theatrical productions & educational tours.  Proficient in a wide variety of music genres, spanning from hardcore punk to traditional jazz, Carves is a accomplished musician with a strong DIY ethic.   As well as performing and composing in The Manny Fox Trio, Nick engineered and mastered the original score for Swamp Juice