The Finger Players
The Finger Players is Singapore's oldest contemporary puppetry theatre company, founded in 1999, producing Main Season productions, outreach programmes through The Little Players wing, school arts education, corporate team-building, and masterclasses for children, families, schools, and corporates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Finger Players does
The Finger Players Ltd is a Singapore-registered non-profit company limited by guarantee and Institute of Public Character (IPC) registered charity, founded on 28 August 1999 as Singapore's oldest contemporary puppetry theatre company. Its core technology is the fusion of traditional Chinese hand puppetry, inherited from master Li Bofen, with contemporary puppetry forms including rod, shadow, string, mask, and object puppetry, combined with multidisciplinary theatre practice. The company operates from a dedicated workshop and performance space at the heritage ONE-TWO-SIX Cairnhill Arts Centre at 126 Cairnhill Road, Singapore, housing both creative production facilities and the Puppet Origin Stories digital archive documenting all puppets created since 1999.
The product portfolio is structured as a platform of interconnected programmes: (1) Main Season Productions — original multidisciplinary puppetry works for adult audiences, including flagship productions such as Turn By Turn We Turn, Transplant, Dream of the Red Chamber, and forthcoming co-commissions; (2) The Little Players — outreach wing providing puppetry workshops, storytelling, craft kits, and puppet-making programmes for children and families; (3) Arts Education Programmes aligned with school curricula for primary through tertiary institutions; (4) Corporate team-building programmes including Build-a-Puppet and From Puppet to Performance; (5) Masterclasses with international partners; and (6) The Maker's Lab, a two-year training pipeline for next-generation puppet designers and makers. The business model combines earned revenue (ticket sales, workshop fees, merchandise at $5-$120 unit pricing, corporate programmes) with diversified funding from the NAC Major Company Scheme, Tote Board Arts Fund, corporate donors, and individual donations eligible for 250% tax deduction under IPC status.
The Finger Players firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Finger Players
- Legal name
- The Finger Players Ltd
- Website
- https://fingerplayers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Finger Players is Singapore's oldest contemporary puppetry theatre company, founded in 1999, producing Main Season productions, outreach programmes through The Little Players wing, school arts education, corporate team-building, and masterclasses for children, families, schools, and corporates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Finger Players industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)
Keywords
Where The Finger Players is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Finger Players business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from Main Season productions, international performances, and community touring shows
- Workshop and Programme Fees: Fees from Arts Education programmes, The Little Players workshops, corporate team building, and masterclasses
- Donations and Fundraising: As a non-profit with IPC status, relies on donations with 250% tax deduction benefit and Cultural Matching Fund dollar-to-dollar matching
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of playscripts, publications, Puppet Origin Stories stickers, and craft kits like the Little Ping Pong kit at $15
- Government Grants: Supported by National Arts Council's Major Company Scheme and various arts funds
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Little Ping Pong Craft Kit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Publications and Playscripts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Puppet Origin Stories Stickers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation Tiers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Arts Education Programme Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Finger Players product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Finger Players creates and stages original contemporary puppetry theatre productions that fuse traditional Chinese hand puppetry with contemporary forms (rod, string, shadow, mask, object puppetry), alongside a portfolio of education and outreach programmes. These include The Little Players workshops and craft kits for children and youth, community touring performances at schools and public venues, the Arts Education Programme for schools, professional masterclasses with international partners, corporate team-building packages, and merchandise including playscripts and craft kits. Revenue is supplemented by donations under IPC charitable status and grants from the National Arts Council and Tote Board Arts Fund.
Product overview
The Finger Players operates as a platform of interconnected puppetry products and services unified by the core philosophy that every object has a life. The main offering consists of Main Season Productions featuring original, multidisciplinary puppetry theatre for adult audiences. Supporting this are three key programme branches: The Little Players (outreach wing) providing youth education through Introduction to the Art of Puppetry workshops, Puppet Design and Construction workshops, Little Ping Pong Craft Kits, and Storytelling with Puppets; Community Touring delivering accessible performances like Hands Up!, Morely Dreams Of…, Bubble Up Bubba! and Puppets Encore!; and The Maker's Lab developing puppet makers and designers. Corporate offerings include Puppetry and Team Building programmes. Additional products include Masterclasses with international partners, the Arts Education Programme for schools, Puppet Origin Stories archival repository, the forthcoming Puppetry Methodology Book, and Publications including playscripts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Maker's Lab: An initiative by The Finger Players to nurture and grow builders and designers of puppets and objects, started in 2020
- Puppet Origin Stories
- The Little Players
Products and services
- Main Season Productions Original contemporary puppetry theatre productions for adult and general audiences, fusing traditional Chinese hand puppetry with contemporary forms (rod, string, shadow, mask, object puppetry) and integrating human actors, movement and design. Staged at Cairnhill Arts Centre and partner venues in Singapore, with international touring.
- The Little Players Outreach wing offering active learning experiences through puppetry for children and youth, including Introduction to the Art of Puppetry workshops, Puppet Design and Construction workshops, Storytelling with Puppets seasonal programmes, and family programmes. Guided by the philosophy that every object has a life.
- Arts Education Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- Average of 25,000 students and public reached annually through outreach
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Finger Players
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Finger Players technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Finger Players partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shakespeare's Wild Sisters GroupcoreSingapore-Taiwan co-commission for Tall Tales: Bananas & Ang Ku Kuehs, co-written and co-directed by Oliver Chong and Wang Chia-Ming, premiered at Esplanade Huayi Festival 2026 with Taiwan tour planned for 2027
- RUDRAcoreCollaboration with Vedic Metal band RUDRA for digital content, following successful collaboration on Transplant (2024) which won Oliver Chong Best Director award
- Joe Louis Theatre CompanycoreThai puppet theatre company collaboration for Puppetry Season 2023 including masterclass and WIP Presentation
- La Casa di MeneghinocoreCollaboration with Milanese puppet master Valerio Saccà for Traditional Hand Puppetry Masterclass, featuring double-bill hand puppetry workshop
- Sovanna PhumcoreCambodian puppet theatre company collaboration for Shadow Puppetry Masterclass, double-bill puppetry workshop conducted
- Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth CentrecoreCo-organised Morely Dreams Of... puppetry performance at Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre - Power Station I in September 2025
- Tak Takut Kids Clubminor20% of Puppet Origin Stories sticker proceeds go to Tak Takut Kids Club annual 'This Is Us!' fundraiser. Children from the club contributed to Morely Dreams Of... script.
- MINDSminorConducted observation workshops for Bubble Up, Bubba! accessibility research, hosted performances at MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School
- SPD (Society for the Physically Disabled)minorObservation workshops conducted for Bubble Up, Bubba! accessibility research
- The WanderlingsminorArts collective co-founded by Ellison Tan and Myra Loke, focused on engaging young people and people with special needs
- The Props CollectiveminorCo-founded by Lam Dan Fong, believes in the power and impact of art and finding solutions to making art more socially and economically sustainable
- The Backstage AffairminorCo-founded by Lam Dan Fong, provides production management services to The Finger Players productions
- Drama BoxcoreCo-presentation of Hands Up! variation show Ubin Mayhem as part of Drama Box's Under Ubin Night Skies on 5 June 2026
- Theatre PracticeminorHistorical origin - The Finger Players started as children division under The Theatre Practice in 1996-1998 under Kuo Pao Kun's guidance
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Finger Players competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Paper Monkey Theatre: Singapore-based contemporary puppet theatre company producing original work for young audiences and adult programming, with international festival exposure. Most direct Singapore puppetry peer alongside The Finger Players in scale, focus and target demographic.
- The Theatre Practice: The Singapore theatre company from which The Finger Players originated as a children's division in 1996-1998 under Kuo Pao Kun. They share a Chinese-language/contemporary theatre lineage, Singapore non-profit funding model, and overlapping artist networks (Tan Beng Tian is a listed past collaborator). Directly comparable in mission, scale and operating geography.
- Drama Box: Singapore applied/community theatre company and active TFP co-production partner (Hands Up! Ubin Mayhem 2026, ARTivate Pioneer Batch with Myra Loke). Comparable in size, non-profit funding model and educational/community focus, though with a verbatim-theatre rather than puppetry specialty.
- Handspring Puppet Company: Internationally renowned South African puppet company (War Horse), operating on a comparable model of original productions, international touring, education programmes, and puppet-design IP. Useful international benchmark for scale of global puppetry company ambition, though significantly larger in budget and headcount.
- Nine Years Theatre: Singapore contemporary Mandarin-language theatre company led by a small artistic collective. Comparable scale and operating geography, with overlapping Singapore non-profit grant funding model and Chinese-language audience focus.
- Sovanna Phum: Cambodian shadow puppet theatre company and explicit TFP partner (collaborated on Shadow Puppetry Masterclass). Operates a comparable model blending traditional Asian puppetry forms with contemporary staging, education and masterclass offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Wild Rice: Singapore's flagship English-language theatre company and listed Major Company Scheme recipient. Operates at a larger scale across production, venue and education, with overlapping institutional funders (NAC) and Singaporean arts infrastructure. Comparable as a Singapore non-profit theatre company, but with broader commercial and English-language remit.
- The Necessary Stage: Singapore theatre company with which TFP shares institutional and personnel links (Tan Beng Tian and Sindhura Kalidas are listed past collaborators). Operates a comparable non-profit model with original productions and education programmes, though stage-focused rather than puppetry-specialised.
- Toy Factory Productions: Singapore independent theatre company with which TFP shares institutional links (Tan Beng Tian is a listed past collaborator). The 'Toy Factory' name echoes a child/youth-performance sensibility, but is a broader English/Chinese-language contemporary theatre rather than puppetry specialist.
Others
- Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay: Singapore's national performing arts centre and a key venue/TFP partner (Huayi Festival 2026). Not a competitor but a critical ecosystem enabler - presenter, co-commissioner and venue that anchors the funding and touring infrastructure TFP depends on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Finger Players social profiles
Digital presenceThe Finger Players financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Finger Players leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
The Finger Players subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Finger Players funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Finger Players M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Finger Players
What does The Finger Players do?
The Finger Players creates and stages original contemporary puppetry theatre productions that fuse traditional Chinese hand puppetry with contemporary forms (rod, string, shadow, mask, object puppetry), alongside a portfolio of education and outreach programmes. These include The Little Players workshops and craft kits for children and youth, community touring performances at schools and public venues, the Arts Education Programme for schools, professional masterclasses with international partners, corporate team-building packages, and merchandise including playscripts and craft kits. Revenue is supplemented by donations under IPC charitable status and grants from the National Arts Council and Tote Board Arts Fund.
Is The Finger Players a public or private company?
The Finger Players is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Finger Players founded?
The Finger Players was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Finger Players based?
The Finger Players is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does The Finger Players make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are workshop and Programme Fees, donations and Fundraising, merchandise Sales and government Grants.
Who are The Finger Players's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Paper Monkey Theatre, The Theatre Practice, Drama Box, Handspring Puppet Company, Nine Years Theatre and Sovanna Phum. Broad incumbents are Wild Rice, The Necessary Stage and Toy Factory Productions. Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay is listed as an others.
Does The Finger Players have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Finger Players.
What industry is The Finger Players in?
The Finger Players's product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAK, Puppetry & Marionette Theatre, with a secondary code of MPAGABAE, Children’s & Youth Theatre. Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7812.