Danielle Richards and Rupert Parry met studying theatre and formed The Flying Buttresses in 2001. They found they shared a love of making people laugh and making rubber monsters. Their highly detailed and expertly crafted creations are brought to life by their skills in improvised comedy, puppetry performance and characterisation.

Danielle has a foundation in Art and design from Camberwell Art College and a degree in Technical Effects for the Performing Arts from the London College of Fashion. Alongside performing and making with The Flying Buttresses, she has worked for numerous special effects companies and productions as a freelance artist. Danielle also teaches after school clubs and workshops, inspiring a new generation to get creative!

Rupert has a foundation in Art and Design from Falmouth Art College and a degree in Technical Arts and Special Effects from Wimbledon College of Art. He has worked for The Jim Henson Company, Disney, Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox among others.

We are so proud to have created puppet characters that have genuinely touched the hearts of so many. Nothing compares to the feeling of brightening someone‘s day by making them laugh and feel joyful. Our goal as performers is to make audiences feel that they are special and important. We want audiences to hang up reality for a moment, as we build a new world around them, one where other-worldly creatures big and small come to life and tell you about their day.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of watching something you dreamt up in your imagination and built with your hands come to life! Equally rewarding is watching the look of wonder and surprise on the faces of an audience when you share something magical with them. We create detailed costumes and stunning animatronics as a means of visual storytelling, to augment and enhance the live experience, to create a sense of authenticity and to suspend disbelief.