About Eleanor and Katie

Eleanor is an actor, puppeteer, award-winning writer, costume maker and teacher.

She has an MA in Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama and trained at Shakespeare's Globe, where she conducted research into Renaissance magic and Original Practices costume and a BA in English from Goldsmith's College, University of London.


Eleanor writes the original scripts for Rust & Stardust's Puppet Parties and the stories for the accompanying illustrated children's books.

She has worked as an associate artist with Atomic Force Productions on tour with Beowulf, and Bright Moon Theatre with The Lady of Shalott, Baba Yaga and The Mermaid's Tale.

As a storyteller, Eleanor has worked with Brighton Storytellers, Hove Museum & Art Gallery and Kew Gardens Glow Wild.

In 2018 she collaborated with double bassist Rosie Moon on The Northern Siren, a musical poem for double bass and voice, which is now available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Music. Eleanor has recently completed her first poetry collection and continues to produce scripts and short stories. Eleanor won the inaugural Dead Cat Poetry Prize in 2021 for her poem Felicette and the Lightning. 


Katie is a puppeteer, model maker and animator with a BA in animation from the University of the Arts London. 


She specialises in stop motion animation, puppet making and illustration. Katie’s latest animation work includes Mother Art prize winner, Mary Martins’ autobiographical mixed media animation, Childhood Memories for Animation 2018 for the BFI and BBC.


Katie lovingly handcrafts the puppets for Rust and Stardust’s productions, from little fluffy dogs, to six foot mermen and everything in between. 


In addition to her work for Rust & Stardust, Katie has made puppets and performed for a number of productions, including Atomic Force Productions' Beowulf, Bright Moon Theatre's The Lady of Shalott and Baba Yaga and The Invisible Giant for Feral Theatre. 


She was recently commissioned to turn the two-dimensional illustration of John the Giant, from local author and illustrator, Julienne Lazell’s children’s book of the same name, into a working puppet to visit schools in Sussex.


Katie worked as an associate artist for puppet designer and maker, Jo Lakin for The Birmingham Repertory 2018 production of The Wizard of Oz.


Katie assists and teaches puppet making in children’s workshops for The Little Angel Theatre in Islington and Primary Workshops for Schools in the South East and is a regular storyteller in West Sussex.