Inside Hammerpuzzle: the creative team behind Lark Rise to Candleford

Hammerpuzzle Theatre Company, led by co-artistic directors Tamsin Kennard and Bryn Holding, are the creative force at the heart of Lark Rise to Candleford on stage at Theatre by the Lake in a co-production with Watermill Theatre. With Tamsin as writer and composer, and Bryn as director, their distinctive approach to storytelling shapes every element of the show.

What makes Hammerpuzzle unique is the way their work is built from the ground up. With the same person writing and composing, the storytelling becomes deeply interwoven. “The music and the text are created together,” Bryn continues. “So the composition really supports the narrative it sits at the heart of the storytelling.”

At the centre of Hammerpuzzle’s process is adaptation.

The company takes well-known (and often lesser-known) literary works and reshapes them for the stage in a way that is both bold and deeply respectful. “We take a stimulus, usually a novel, and we ‘hammer’ it apart,” Bryn says. “Then we re-puzzle it back together in a new form. It sounds brutal, but it’s done with great care and love.”

For Tamsin, the focus is always on finding the emotional core of the story. “With Lark Rise to Candleford, it’s Laura’s journey, her self-discovery and her attempt to make peace with her life, that really felt like the heart of it,” she says.

The story of Flora Thompson, whose semi-autobiographical novels inspired the production, felt like a natural fit for Hammerpuzzle’s ethos. “She is an unsung writer,” Bryn reflects. “A rural female voice documenting a world from the inside. That feels really resonant now, finding stories that have real currency, but aren’t always the obvious ones.”

Founded in 2007, Hammerpuzzle has evolved over time, but its core values have remained the same: ensemble storytelling, imagination, and a focus on the fundamentals of theatre. “Our work is rooted in storytelling,” Bryn explains. “In the imagination of the audience. In actors creating worlds together, rather than relying on spectacle. That’s always been central to what we do.”

That approach finds a natural home in theatres like the Watermill and Theatre by the Lake. “Both theatres felt like the right partners for this work,” says Tamsin. “There’s a shared understanding of audience and of storytelling, which makes the collaboration really special.”

For Bryn, returning to Theatre by the Lake is also a deeply personal moment.

He previously performed here as an actor during the 2014 summer season and it was in Keswick that he first realised he wanted to become a director. “It feels very full circle,” he says. “This is where I found the bravery to step into directing. And now to come back with this production, it’s incredibly special.”

For Tamsin, the connection runs just as deep. During that same summer, she was in Keswick working on a funding application that would help shape the future of Hammerpuzzle. “That application led to the work that eventually became this production,” she explains. “So being here now feels quite extraordinary.”

At the heart of Lark Rise to Candleford is a story of life, memory, and connection, something that resonates strongly with audiences.

“The final song is called Nothing Dies,” says Tamsin. “And the repeated refrain is: ‘Nothing dies that was ever loved.’ That feels like the essence of the piece.”

As for what comes next, Hammerpuzzle continues to seek out stories that deserve to be rediscovered. “We’re always looking for those slightly overlooked voices,” says Tamsin. “Particularly female writers, and stories that haven’t been told as often.”

With new adaptations and original projects already in development, their work continues to evolve but always with the same guiding principle.

“For us,” Bryn adds, “it’s always about finding the heart of the story and sharing it in a way that connects with audiences today.”