Ray and Joan DaSilva are retired professional puppeteers, both makers and performers with experience in most aspects of puppetry from Punch & Judy at the seaside to directing their own puppet company.

Ray and Joan were responsible for overseeing the conversion of a mediaeval church into Norwich Puppet Theatre which opened in 1980 and is still running successfully. They also ran a puppeteers’ bookshop and organised events for puppeteers.

The company toured for several years with large-scale shows to major theatres including London’s West End, and simultaneously with smaller teams of puppeteers to schools, arts societies and festivals. It became a training ground for puppeteers who went on to form their own companies and to work for others in theatre, television and film.