Theatre and performance have been part of my life since I began ballet classes at the age of 3, which then led to tap dancing, modern and jazz. I later became heavily involved in school theatre productions and amateur shows with local theatre companies, acting, dancing and singing. I loved performing but I was also fascinated by the production elements, in particular the way masks and puppets could transform and be brought to life when worn or manipulated. The magic was all the more satisfying when I had made them myself, usually at home on the kitchen table.
In my mid teens I came close to applying for drama school, but deep down I knew making was more important to me than performing. I did a GCSE in theatre studies for which I made two large head pieces for an imaginary production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a pig and a cockerel. For my A level Art, amongst the pieces in my portfolio, a mechanical bird sculpture, mounted on a base housing a mechanism, would run and flap its wings with the turn of a windlass. During my Art Foundation year at Warwickshire College I seriously considered a degree in theatre design at Wimbledon College of Arts, but instead chose the 3D Design degree at Manchester Metropolitan University, to keep my options open. There I joined the drama society and quickly took over as chairman, successfully producing and performing in a number modest shows for our fellow students.
Jewellery making became the focus in my final year at university and remains central to my practice today. With hindsight this progression made sense because, like a mask or a puppet, jewellery is an inanimate object that comes alive on the body. You could argue that jewellery is theatre, the body a stage, a place where objects perform a kind of display. Jewellery can certainly be theatrical, especially in my case.
Part of me always wondered how different my life would be had I pursued theatre design, but we all have to make choices and sadly we can’t do everything…. or can we?
In the summer of 2025 a sponsored instagram post caught my eye. A puppet maker called Nick Barnes, famous for his work on the stage show of Life of Pi, was recruiting makers who could work with plastazote foam. It’s a material I have used to make various wearable pieces for festivals and fancy-dress objects for my niece and nephews (below). I assumed the job would be in London but to my surprise the workshops are based in Hove, close to where I live. Without knowing what the project was I casually applied, showed them my work and they offered me the job.
Only at the interview did I learn that we would be making puppets for non other than the Royal Shakespeare Company, for a new production of Game of Thrones - The Mad King. Set 17 years before the first, original Game of Thrones episode, the play centres around a jousting tournament - an event loaded with political tension, romance and betrayal between the various houses. It’s a part of George R. R. Martin’s epic story that (at the time of writing this) has not been adapted for screen. George R. R. Martin himself was an executive producer on the show. Characters are played by real humans who are sometimes replaced by puppets for dramatic effect - knights wielding lances, galloping towards each other upon puppet horses, or on foot in armed combat.
In January 2026, jewellery making suddenly had to take a backseat as I plunged in at the deep end - a full-time puppet maker. The learning curve was steep, especially as someone who has been self employed and flying solo their entire adult life. I was suddenly part of a big team working on an enormously elaborate project. It involved pulling together Georgia McGuinness’s stunning costume designs, visual research of real armour, complex mechanisms, durability, proportion, weight, the time restriction and of course Nick’s own creative vision. At the same time I was learning how to work with new materials and processes whilst drawing upon all my own experience of making. It took a little while for me to understand just how much was required of me in terms of creative input. It was far more than I expected. Every piece was new and presented its own challenges. I was constantly making micro decisions that could have a knock-on effect further downstream so it was a case of knowing when to trust my judgement or to consult my busy colleagues. The perfectionism I have cultivated through jewellery making meant that I kept being given the really difficult, fiddly jobs, which was a little daunting at times but ultimately a huge privilege and so much fun.
I was extremely fortunate to be part of a smaller team that travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon for ‘tech week’, the final stage of the process. This was in fact two weeks working on site, in a sun-baked portacabin and backstage in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, watching rehearsals, taking notes, rectifying any technical issues through making adjustments and sometimes whole new pieces. After two cancelled previews due to technical issues, Game of Thrones - The Mad King opened in July 2026 for a 5 week run that received numerous 4 and 5 star reviews. I went to see it a few weeks into the run and even despite having been part of the production, making the puppets and witnessing the rehearsal process, it was no less magical. I was totally blown away and even shed a few proud tears.
As you might be able to see in the images above, the stage is a cross shape with four entrances, including an enormous double door in place of the proscenium arch. The audience surround the stage on all four sides so you really feel like you’re immersed in the action. The story is gripping. The quality of the performance was absolutely world class. The sound design was amazing, as were all the production values. And of course the puppets were stunning. The way the puppeteers bring them to life so skilfully is just incredible.
Game of Thrones - The Mad King will tour to London in 2027 although dates and venue have not yet been announced. Visit the RSC website and signup to the tour mailing list
I then had pleasure of being invited back into the puppet studio for the next project - Jungle Book for the National Theatre. Yet another incredible making experience and totally different. Game of Thrones was all about precision, angled cuts in sheets of polyethylene foam to imitate armour, whereas fury animals required a much looser, more gestural approach - lots of carving into solid plastazote foam. At first I found it difficult to let go of my perfectionist tendencies but then gradually I began to feel into the material with a sense of freedom I’ve never experience before.
Jungle Book will open at The National Theatre on London’s South Bank on Friday 13th November 2026 and run until Saturday 6th February 2027.
So 2026 has been a very special year, full of new experiences, challenges and huge achievements that I’m immensely proud of. Nick and the team he gathered for both shows are among the most talented people I’ve ever met and it was just a joy to work along side them. To have an opportunity to like this at this stage of my career has been a real full-circle moment. It goes to show that anything is possible and dreams can come true. I’ve learned so much both technically and about myself, and I’m excited to get back into my own work, inspired, fresh and ready to go.
Thank you for reading.
