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Charlie Mackesy teaches INK Festival attendees to draw his characters

Origin8Photography.com Charlie Mackesy sitting at a desk on stage and drawingOrigin8Photography.com
Charlie Mackesy said the characters were looking for a connection by being vulnerable

A festival audience has been "drawing along" with Charlie Mackesy.

The writer and illustrator talked through creating The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse at the INK festival in Halesworth, Suffolk.

"I felt I lost quite a lot of my life, so the boy is me looking for connections," he said.

The festival programme had a blank page and pencils were given out to the audience to try their own versions of the now iconic creatures.

Mr Mackesy, who lives in Suffolk, drew images live on a tablet on stage as he shared anecdotes about his book and the animated film created with the BBC.

He said: "I'm just a scruffy person who made a book, and now I'm directing Tom Hollander! His voice is velvety; it sounds like a cake would sound."

Jon Wright/BBC Barney the dog on the theatre stageJon Wright/BBC
Barney stopped the show briefly when he created a small puddle at the edge of the stage

He was accompanied on stage at The Cut theatre by his dog Barney who, he told the crowd, was 16 and had dementia, "so he's doing OK".

Along with sketches and stories about his book, he reflected on the many letters and emails he receives in response to his work.

"It's the greatest gift to me for these characters to have been involved in people's lives," he said.

Mr Mackesy talked through how to construct each of the four animal characters and encouraged the audience to draw along with him on the last page of their programme.

He ended the show with a story from when he used to sit on the streets of central London with his sketchbook.

A woman with her children walked past, looking at his work.

"That's what'll happen to you if you don't do your homework," she told them as they walked off.

Jon Wright/BBC Jon Wright's rubbish drawings of a fox and a moleJon Wright/BBC
Jon Wright's attempt at the characters... it looks as though Charlie is safe for now

After the performance, he spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk about living in the county.

He said: "I love the energy there is here and I love that Suffolk has always felt bristling with creativity.

"In every direction, making cake or painting or writing, sculpting or poetry, Suffolk has something really special.

"It doesn't surprise me that this [festival] is going on. It feels completely right."

The INK festival runs until 14 April.

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