Come join us at Skipton International Puppet Festival 2025 for the UK premiere of Lemba by Spanish Puppet Theatre company Ángeles de Trapo!
Lemba is inspired by some of the many real stories of our closest relatives, chimpanzees. Unfortunately, these animals are endangered due to deforestation, poaching, and the illegal wildlife trade. This is the story of Lemba, our protagonist, a chimpanzee captured by poachers, who took her from her family and home to be sold as a pet.
In a world where fame is ever so short-lived and social media has a stranglehold on the lives of celebrities, an influencer, whose popularity is on the wane, decides to buy a chimpanzee and use it in his videos to rake in money and followers. This is how Lemba comes, a young chimpanzee who’s been ripped away from her family and home in the jungle to become a pawn in the world of internet entertainment.
Lemba, the protagonist of this moving story, refuses to roll over and accept her fate. Determined to change the course of her life, she sets out on a daring journey to break free from captivity and find a sanctuary where she can be out of harm’s way, far from poaching, deforestation, and the illegal animal trade – a place where she can start afresh and, at last, be happy.
A trailer and more information below…
Duration:
55 minutes, no interval
Important Information:
Family friendly, and recommended for ages 6 and up