September 17 2025
If you’ve seen a Miracle Theatre show in the last twenty years, chances are you’ve seen the work of Jude Munden. For over two decades, Jude has been designing and making everything from costumes and puppets to painted sets and props. Cornwall is a hub of creative talent, and we wanted to share the story of one of our treasured collaborators and how she came to do the work she does.
Jude studied Fine Art at Falmouth College of Art. After spending some time teaching in secondary schools, she found herself drawn towards more hands-on, three-dimensional work. What began with hats soon grew into costumes, then puppets, and eventually set painting. For Jude, the creative process is all about rolling up her sleeves and learning through making—allowing a piece to evolve as it takes shape. She stays responsive to the needs of the play and production, while also working within the limitations of materials and budgets. As Jude explains:
“For me it is about the team. I think that’s a key skill to working in this industry – if working collaboratively excites you and brings out the best in you, start by finding other people you want to work with, because together we are stronger!”
Jude also believes that budding theatre makers need to be strong multi-taskers in order to thrive within Cornwall’s diverse theatre ecosystem. One of her most memorable Miracle projects was designing the extraordinary costumes for A Perfect World (pictured). These sculptural creations gave the play its unique, dreamlike look and pushed the boundaries of what theatre costumes can be. By contrast, her work on Twelfth Night this summer was all about speed and practicality. With five actors playing twelve characters, costumes had to look great while surviving 45 performances and enabling multiple split-second quick changes backstage.
Theatre runs in Jude’s family. Her partner, Alan Munden, is a creator of worlds on stage, designing sets for Miracle and even appearing as an actor. Their daughter, Anna, has also performed with Miracle, appearing in plays such as Hell’s Bells and Star Crazy.
In 2013, Jude and Alan—alongside playwright John Welch—founded their own theatre company, Pipeline Theatre. Their first production, Transports, was written with their daughter in mind, who was 15 at the time. The play told the story of Alan’s mother, who came to England at the age of 15 on the Kindertransport during the Second World War, this went on national tour twice.
Today, Pipeline Theatre is about to tour a reimagined version of Runt, a powerful piece exploring the state of schools today. This new production brings together three professional actors and eleven young people from Cornwall, who will play school pupils on stage and bring real authenticity to the story. The tour begins on 31st October, travelling across the South-West. This is one not to be missed this autumn.
Tickets: https://www.pipelinetheatre.com/buy-runt-tickets-here.html
Meanwhile, Jude is deep into researching the world of trolls and Nordic folklore, in preparation for next summer’s Miracle’s show!
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