“In Europe puppetry is integrated as one of the theatre arts. In the UK it has been seen as an art form for children and children’s theatre – it’s maybe a little looked down upon.”

Beccy Smith, director of Touched Theatre, is hoping tonight’s show might go some way to changing that opinion.

Punched is set to showcase five pieces of puppetry for grown-ups, four of which have been specially devised for this new show.

“The National Theatre’s production of [Michael Morpurgo’s] War Horse demonstrated how puppetry could be used outside children’s theatre,” says Smith.

“On television The Muppets went properly mainstream – I remember watching it with all my family – but in the theatre world it was always seen as an art form for kids, until War Horse changed all that.”

On the bill for Punched is a sequel to the famous fable of The Hare And The Tor toise, created by Annie Brooks and Joe Kenny who were also behind Carp Blanche, the story of a suicidal carp; and a revival of Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Biting The Dust – an exploration of reality, death and dreams by Isobel Smith of Grist To The Mill.

Other artists also involved include Yael Karavan, whose Anima by the Karavan Ensemble won an Argus Angel earlier this year, and Matt Rudkin of Inconvenient Spoof will be presenting a brief history of the universe.

And hosts Touched will be showcasing a new work called A Tiny Blue Man At The Edge Of The World.

Introducing the night is Miranda, a drag marionette, which Touched has borrowed from Unpacked Theatre.

“Miranda can be pretty foul-mouthed, and there will be some adult content, but what we are trying to illustrate is puppetry as a form for g rown-up arts audiences,” says Smith.

“We have tried to put together a programme for Punched that will show all the different uses and artistic arenas that puppetry can operate in.”

One example is in the work of Yael Karavan, who tends to work with objects rather than standard cloth puppets.

“We consider object work to be part of puppetry,” says Smith. “The figurative use of objects and puppetry are all part of a strand of work called material theatre.”

Although five different companies are involved, Smith was keen that the night remains as fluid as possible.

“We didn’t want a night with 15-minute performances and 20-minute breaks where the audience has to sit around while we re-set,” she says.

“There will be lots of scurrying about, but we’re hoping that everyone working as a team will provide the energy for the evening.”

It is hoped tonight’s show will be the first of many.

“With this show we have been strict about prog ramming artists who are locally based,” says Smith. “Eventually we would like Punched to become a fairly regular, perhaps quarterly, night to showcase the best of new puppetry from further afield.

“We feel confident there is an audience for this kind of work in Brighton – we want to create a real buzz with Punched.”

This month The Nightingale also hosts the Academy Of Creative Training’s latest production How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found, from Thursday, December 8, to Monday, December 12, and Macellerie Pasolini’s silent movement-based work Parade from Wednesday, December 14, to Saturday, December 17.

For more information visit www.nightingaletheatre.co.uk

The Nightingale, above Grand Central, Surrey Street, Brighton. Starts 8pm, £8.50/£6.50. Call 0800 4118881.