Trestle was founded in 1981 by students from Middlesex University Sally Cook, Alan Riley and Toby Wilsher  with the help of their course tutor, John Wright. They were soon joined by Joff Chafer and the Company developed a distinctive style of theatre using masks, puppets and music, and soon became one of Britain’s leading touring theatre companies. Find out more about Trestle's past touring productions.

In April 2002, after 20 years of nomadic existence, the Company moved into Trestle Arts Base, a £2,000,000 refurbishment of the 100-year-old Hill End Hospital Chapel in St Albans, Hertfordshire. As well as providing the Company with its first ever permanent home, Trestle Arts Base has gained its own reputation as a successful performing arts centre.

A new era began in 2004, when Toby Wilsher, the last remaining founding Artistic Director left the Company, and Emily Gray was appointed as the new Artistic Director. Today, Trestle collaborates with UK and international artists to create physical storytelling theatre with diverse cultural expression.

Little India (2007) was Trestle's first unmasked production and the first in a trilogy of internationally influenced storytelling theatre pieces.  Working with Indian theatre company Little Jasmine Trestle recreated a telling of a classic Indian love story for a contemporary audience. In 2008 Trestle worked with Barcelona-based dance company Increpación Danza to develop Lola, which told the story of Lola Montez; the infamous 19th century fake Spanish dancer.  Last year Trestle used Eastern European physical and vocal techniques to tell the Polish fable of The Glass Mountain, which told the story of Olek, baker by day, dreamer by night.

2010 begins with Moon Fool; ill met by moonlight an inventive re-imagining of Shakespeare's well-loved play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, combining original music and playful movement, Moon Fool is the fairies' tale with an amplified twist. This new show has been produced by Trestle and created by emerging company Moon Fool. Autumn brings the second of Trestle's 2010 co-productions to the stage with Burn My Heart, based on the novel by award winning writer Beverley Naidoo. It uses African and European music and movement styles combined with a powerful mix of text, compelling storytelling and physical theatre, to tell this fast-paced, devastating, and highly relevant story. Burn My Heart will tour in September 2010.