Theatre and performance have been part of my life since I started ballet at the age of three. I danced, acted and sang on stage, into my late teens, but I was equally fascinated by the craftsmanship that happened behind the scenes, particularly the strange magic of masks and puppets. I loved making objects that could be transformed and brought to life through movement.
Ultimately I chose making over performing, eventually finding my way into jewellery. With hindsight, the connection seems obvious: like a mask or puppet, jewellery is an inanimate object that comes alive on the body. You could even argue that jewellery is theatre, and the body its stage.
Still, I sometimes wondered what might have happened had I pursued theatre design instead.
Then, in the summer of 2025, a sponsored Instagram post appeared. Puppet maker Nick Barnes was looking for people experienced in working with plastazote foam. His workshop, happened to be just around the corner from me in Hove. I applied without knowing what the project was.
At the interview I discovered we would be making puppets for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production, Game of Thrones - The Mad King.
In January 2026, I temporarily stepped away from jewellery and into an extraordinary new world of sculpting, pattern cutting, armour making, mechanisms, problem-solving and collaboration. Months later I found myself backstage at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre during observing the rehearsal process so we could snag any issues with the puppets ahead of the premiere.
And that wasn’t the end of it. Nick invited me back for the next project, another major production: Jungle Book at the National Theatre.
After more than 25 years as a jeweller, 2026 unexpectedly brought me back to where it all began.