Enter the magical leftfield world of the Widdershins Theatre Company

And if you think that's one of the weirdest first lines to any story you've read in this paper, don't fret, it's entirely in keeping with the magical world Andy Lawrence now occupies.

Andy is perhaps better known locally as the man behind the incredibly popular Theatre of Widdershins who for the last 20 or so years has been entertaining both young and old with his funny, slightly subversive, brilliantly colourful puppet shows.

But things might have been very different - possibly - if two giants of Eighties light entertainment hadn't run amok with Andy's creation, after he asked them expressly not to.

Andy was working as a freelance costumier at the time, mainly doing jobs for the BBC. Among the shows he worked on was Little and Large, the Paul Daniels Magic Show and of course the Russ Abbott Show.

"I seemed to be the go to person for making silly animal costumes," he smiles. "Do you remember the Blackadder Christmas Special, well I made all the silvery futuristic costumes for that. I also did the Chronicles of Narnia making lots and lots of Satyr legs, which was actually quite horrible. Because they're goat-like creatures, I was sent about 20 goat hides, in the summer, which I had to keep in my tiny London flat. The smell was terrible and is one of the main reasons I'm a vegetarian today."

Funnily enough it was another mythological beast that finally made Andy think about changing his career.

"It was a 48 hour stint to get these costumes ready for the show," he tells me, "and when I took them in I was assured they wouldn't be running around in them. Of course as soon as Russ and Les put them on that's exactly what they did and I just stood there watching my costumes fall apart in front of my eyes.

"To be fair I'd already made up my mind I was a little bit sick of that work mainly because you would have long stints of doing nothing and then suddenly you would be working all the hours to get stuff done."

With the aim of bringing up a family, he and his wife had already moved out of London to rural Bedfordshire, but on the look out for a new career it was thanks to another 'giant' of Eighties light entertainment that he finally got the answer.

"I had made this camel costume for Eddie Large," he reveals, "it was a bit like Bernie Clifton's ostrich except it had this long camel's neck and I just remember Eddie taking it around the studio and everyone falling about in stitches. Then when I watched it on the television later, I didn't find it funny at all. It was completely flat, and that got me to thinking about the live element. That these kind of things really only work when the audience can see it live."

Now based in East Anglia he got in touch with a group of puppeteers based in the region and after meeting up with them, and getting some top tips, he decided to create his own show.

"Oh it was bad," he laughs, "really so bad. It was a nasty version of Sleeping Beauty and I only did two performances. I was actually going to give up and then I went along to a seminar with Puppeteers East given by John Blundall (the inspiration behind some of the puppets on Thunderbirds and Stingray).

"He listed all these Do's and Don'ts and pretty much everything in that first show was in the Don'ts column."

Andy's second show, The Witching Tree, by his own admission was slightly better but it wasn't until he started introducing the story in his next show that he literally began to find his voice.

"I still love the Witching Tree," he says. "It's a very visual show with no talking and I once took it to a French Festival where people really liked it, presumably because there was no language barrier.

"But I realised to perform a really good show I would need to interact with the audience. The problem was I was so nervous. I started introducing the stories and it wasn't long before I got comfortable with that and actually began enjoying it. Now I think I prefer the storytelling to the puppetry."

Andy's first proper show was in 1997 with Rumplestiltskin and currently he has six on his roster, including 3 Billy Goats Gruff and Other Furry Tails, The Arabian Nights and The Elves and the Shoemaker.

For the next few weeks, Andy is almost the Colchester Arts Centre's theatre performer in residence as he takes to the stage for an incredible 20 shows of his unique production of Rapunzel.

And if you're wondering what's in store, I think Andy's blurb says it all:

"Tangles? Split Ends? Frizzy? Flyaway? It’s bad enough having a bad hair day but pity poor Rapunzel spending her life in a tower with some strange woman using her captive’s locks as a step ladder! What sort of damage is that going to do to your hair?"

As Andy continues it's a show that promises 'plenty of body, volume and loads of highlights. Make an appointment to see the show – because you’re worth it!'

But while hundreds of Colchester children might be in Christmas seventh heaven, there's one young woman who isn't.

"My children are all grown up now," he adds, "but my daughter, who is 18, was a little bit put out when I told her I would be doing this for Christmas. Usually I'm pretty busy in the run up with lots of schools shows but then I'm free so I've always spent Christmas with the family playing board games and eating mince pies.

"This year it's all changed. I've never done anything like this before so I promised my daughter when I don't have a double show on I'll come back home as long as there is a mince pie waiting for me."

Rapunzel

Colchester Arts Centre,

Church Street, Colchester.

Until January 3. Various times.

£5.95. 01206 500900.

www.colchesterartscentre.com