The Woodlouse (John Butler)
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the-woodlouse.bsky.social
The Woodlouse (John Butler)
@the-woodlouse.bsky.social
430 followers 700 following 1.1K posts
Half man half muppet. Late diagnosed Autistic oversharer.
'Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?' (a one-man, one-puppet musical journey through a zombie outbreak) and other creative things. ‘Othering’ people is bad. He/him.

https://thewoodlouse.co.uk/
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the-woodlouse.bsky.social
I really like this still from the end of the show, of me gesturing wildly at the real star of the show. This was four shows from the end of the Fringe, so there was increasing relief at the end of each one!
A white middle aged man stands to the right of a projector screen which shows a silent film style black caption card reading “The End”. He is gesturing enthusiastically to his co-star further to the right of the image, a cardboard cut out puppet human.
December 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Shocking behaviour at the local gym
A blue paper cleaning roll is mounted THE WRONG WAY ROUND in a gym cleaning station and bin stand (the roll is mounted on the holder so that the paper comes off the back and the bottom of the roll, rather than the obviously correct way: hanging from the top and the front).
December 3, 2025 at 7:59 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
No real surprises here. Slightly concerned that my 7th most used word is 'myself' (though I think mostly in sentences starting with 'talking/singing to', 'shouting/despairing at' etc.) . My most used emoji is fittingly the facepalm.

Generated by @anisota.net
Word cloud visualization for 2025 showing my 50 most-used words, sized by frequency. Top 10: "show" (70×), "fringe" (51×), "zombies" (40×), "album" (40×), "music" (32×), "edinburgh" (30×), "myself" (29×), "listen" (29×), "brilliant" (29×), "brain" (27×) (from Anisota's Annual Bluesky Harvest)
December 3, 2025 at 4:18 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Reluctantly-outdoors face.
Me (white middle aged beardy man with greying hair just long enough to stand up in the wind), looking grumpy, damp and windswept in the glow of a streetlight
December 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
New reading glasses. I can now read things closer than at arms length, so that’s a bonus.
Me (a white middle aged man with short greying hair and beard) wearing a bout hoody and a black T-shirt, pulling a face as I look at the camera through my new new reading glasses, which are matt plastic, and shade of darkish blue that accidentally matches my hoody.
November 26, 2025 at 1:41 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Stay Inside (when the pandemic inevitably bled into Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?)
November 20, 2025 at 6:09 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Are you or any of your friends committed (like me) to a space-hungry music format that requires you to actually leave the sofa and physically handle it in order to listen? Even better if it's transparent and blood red and a double album (more trips to the turntable = more exercise)? This is for you!
A translucent blood-red vinyl record held up to the window with the light shining through it, putting the 'blood' in 'blood red'. The centre label shows a cartoon drawing of a smiling and biting zombie. Rear cover of the vinyl gatefold sleeve. A red-eyed zombies lunges out from the background in a bluish haze (a pen and wash drawing) while in front of it John wields a ukulele. Track listing overlaid down the lefthand side. the front cover of the vinyl sleeve, with the transparent red vinyl half exposed from black paper inner sleeve on the righthand side. The front cover and has a colour pen and wash drawing of a disparate bunch of zombies on it, with the title “Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?” across the top, and “the Woodlouse” in small print below, all on ablack background The inner leaves of the gatefold sleeve, white lyric text on black background, with a few images from the show scattered about
November 20, 2025 at 3:15 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
You too (or your friends too) can look awkward and weird while a bunch of zombies stare out from your chest.
In T-Shirt form they are the softest comfiest zombies you ever did wear.
Me wearing my Zombies T-shirt, trying to smile for camera and failing, in front of a creamy-yellow wall. The T-shirt is black, and has a colour pen and wash drawing of a disparate bunch of zombies on it, with the title “Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?” across the top, and “the Woodlouse” in small print below.
November 20, 2025 at 2:56 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
I may be in denial about Christmas but that doesn't mean you can't buy weird Zombie merch for someone (or yourself!)!
T-Shirts, Blood-red vinyl, and CD all available.

Soundtrack from the show described as "strangely upbeat given its angsty subject matter” - The Scotsman
shop.thewoodlouse.co.uk
Close up of a T-shirt worn by a man. It’s black, and has a colour pen and wash drawing of a disparate bunch of zombies on it, with the title “Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?” across the top, and “the Woodlouse” in small print below. A translucent blood-red vinyl record held up to the window with the light shining through it, putting the 'blood' in 'blood red'. The centre label shows a cartoon drawing of a smiling and biting zombie. A printed car CD wallet with the CD just over halfway out of it. The design on the front cover had "Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?" written across the top, and "the Woodlouse" written across the bottom in smaller letters. Between the lines of text is a large print of a pen and wash colour drawing of a disparate bunch of zombies, on a black background. The CD label show drawing of a biting and smiling zombie.
November 20, 2025 at 2:52 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
In lighter news: the supreme floof.

She is returning home on Thursday. I shall miss her ridiculous fluffy presence.
A white and tabby cat is curling up on a burgundy padded chair under a table, her tail curled across her and sheltering her face from the world. She has now curled onto her side, forming a very relaxed circle.
November 18, 2025 at 8:22 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
First performance of Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? was two years ago today! It’s evolved since, and been performed another 24 times, 22 at Ed Fringe. Due to evolve more soon, working with a director. I’m very proud of the ridiculous (but also meaningful) nonsense, and want to keep doing it.
A screen grab from Facebook, showing a photo of a small theatre, viewed from the back of the auditorium, with rows of red chairs lined up. In the small stage a projection screen shows a pen and wash drawing of a big red live heart. Text above the photo reads “18th November 2023. Apart from Thomas muttering ‘what have I done wrong’ I think we’re ready”.
November 18, 2025 at 8:22 AM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
I was watching a mess of a film which I’ve abandoned. Would like to get up and put some music on instead, but I’ve been catted
A brown, white and black tabby cat lies on a blanket on my legs. She is firmly faceplanting into the blanket, very much a sound response to the state of the world.
November 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
The face of a beastie who doesn’t want to give up her spot. I tried moving, she just sprawled more firmly across me. I’m going to have to be ruthless now, though. I must stand!
Close up on a white and tabby cat’s head, white nose down towards a blanket on my lap, the white turning to brown and black tabby above her eyes. Her ears reach out to either side.
November 14, 2025 at 10:30 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
The was meant to be a photo, but it’s an accidental single wave video instead.
November 13, 2025 at 4:14 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
If full on hibernation isn’t possible I’d gladly settle for the ability to curl up like this floofball.
A white and tabby cat curled up on her side like a yin yang symbol, on a red cushion, her fluffy little arms folded around her face.
November 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
In other news this fluffy beastie is staying for a few days. Currently snoring gently.
A tabby and white cat is curled up on a red corduroy cushion, her tabby head and ears buried in her tail, a white band between her head and the rest of her tabby body).
November 9, 2025 at 10:27 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Colourification of the house continues, as I need more than off-white, grey and beige to get me through the coming winter. Today’s paint colour is Delilah, here featured next to Toy Soldier and Humpty Dumpty. Obvs.
An alcove with a wooden dining table, with a dark teal colour on back wall and ceiling, with a pinky red on the right hand side. Outside the alcove the wall is an egg-yolky yellow, with a wooden door in it. The ceiling is white (paint name ‘timeless’) The back and side wall of a bathroom. Above the sink and WC the wall is a pinky red, with light beige tiles below . A mirror in the middle of the wall reflect the other side of the small bathroom which has been the same colour around a wooden door. The wall to the right is white .
November 8, 2025 at 3:57 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
“Even amongst the chaos and pain, there are moments of love and light”
John and Georgie falling in love while smashing their way through approaching zombies, zombies falling in love as they share brains.
From Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?, filmed at Edinburgh Fringe
November 5, 2025 at 7:15 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Also known as climbing French beans, stringless beans, simply ‘flat beans’, but never runner beans. THESE are runner beans
A bunch of runner beans on a white background. They are noticeably a different shape to flat beans, with a rough textured surface rather than the smooth surface of flat beans.
November 5, 2025 at 12:36 AM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
But these are not runner beans! Inaccurate! These are flat French beans. My faith in the world is shattered.
A clue and answer for Answersmash from Richard Osman’s House of games. The question at the top reads “which cartoon bird is the nemesis of Wile E Coyote?”, the image is of some long green beans but they are flat French beans, not runner beans, nonetheless the stated answer is “Roadrunner beans”.
November 5, 2025 at 12:18 AM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
If only I could feel as clear headed as a blasting by the sea makes me feel, without necessarily having to be blasted by the sea (I love the sea, but it would be useful to not to rely on it!).
A beardy greying-haired man in a blue waterproof jacket with red zips, stands in a concrete promenade by a rough sea. His shortish hair is swept completely back by the wind. Waves crash over rocks sending up big white spray in the foreground. A moody sky hangs above. Cliffs loom in the distance. Big waves roll in a crash dramatically in front of the photographer, with much spray and foam. Big waves roll in a crash dramatically in front of the photographer, with much spray and foam.
November 3, 2025 at 4:26 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
One of these sheep is not like the others…
In a green field a lone Alpaca sits on a path with many sheep further behind it, its long neck reaching upwards.
November 1, 2025 at 3:36 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
John and Georgie realise that they’re in the projections, then hunker down and watch as the zombies roam. From Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep?, filmed at Edinburgh Fringe.
November 1, 2025 at 11:39 AM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Birthday present to myself arrived. Here I am almost blending into my walls, forgetting to look upset* at being personally attacked by @thedailytism.com
I went rogue with the colour because I need more yellow in my life.
* showing how happy I am with my awesome new T-Shirt.
A 48 year old with greying short hair and beard smiles at the camera, wearing a yellow T-a shirt bearing the words “personally attacked by the Daily Tism”. He stands in front of a wall painted a slightly duller shade of yellow.
October 31, 2025 at 1:22 PM
the-woodlouse.bsky.social
Plant care app says I should water the patio plants. I think that’s being taken care of.
Some blurry green plants are just visible in terracotta-coloured pots on a grey patio. Rain covers everything and dribbles visibly down the window in front of the camera.
October 31, 2025 at 10:45 AM