John Cox's Creature Workshop

Betty Blue Eyes

Betty was designed and created by John Cox in collaboration with Tim Hatley, the show’s production designer, for Cameron Mackintosh Productions, UK.

There were 4 pigs constructed, each built for a particular scene. Both the cart pig and the bath pig were constructed identically so that in the event of one puppet failing on the night they could be interchanged with each other without causing any delay during the performance.

A static version of Betty, which was referred to as the ‘pig in a blanket’, is manhandled and roughly pushed into the bathroom at the beginning of Act Two. A running version was mounted on a rotating rig, which quickly shoots out from under a cupboard and disappears through the bathroom door. This lasts all of 3 seconds during the song “Pig! No pig!”

Betty is the star of the big finale as she joins in the final song voiced by Kylie Minogue.