Monster Troupe

The Monster Troupe is a community-based processional arts and street theatre collective based in the Portsmouth/Rye, New Hampshire area, performing annually as a signature unit of the Portsmouth Halloween Parade since 2010. The all-volunteer group fields approximately 45 members each year and is renowned for elaborately handcrafted giant puppets, costumed street theatre, and ensemble dance performances built around a secret annual theme revealed on parade night. Founded and led by Holly Cook — known as the 'Monster Mistress' and a former biotech executive — the troupe has become one of the parade's most celebrated units, with the annual event drawing upwards of 10,000 spectators each October 31st.