Author: Brett Hansen

Shoebox Theatre Company – Avenue Q | Larrikin Puppets

Posted on by Brett Hansen

Flossy and Frazzamatazz had a fun night out at Shoebox Theatre Company’s excellent production of “Avenue Q” in Toowoomba.
 

We ran a pre-audition puppetry workshop in September 2018, and then we returned to Toowoomba in November for a revised workshop with the chosen cast, and assisting with specific scenes they might need help with.
 
 
 
The September workshop made it onto Seven News!

We love Avenue Q and have trained a few different casts. If you’d like some puppetry training, contact us here:

 
In the meantime, if you’re in or near Toowoomba, go and see Avenue Q at USQ Artsworx!
https://www.facebook.com/events/997195920458754/
 





 
Having trained a few casts of Avenue Q over the years we were delighted to teach some new people the skills required to bring this wonderful production to life with good puppetry.
I love Avenue Q. I first saw the show when an Australian and New Zealand touring production came to QPAC in 2010. I’ve seen the off-Broadway production in New York City twice (the second time we were lucky enough to be taken on a backstage tour to meet all the puppets and have a look at the sets up close).

In 2012 I auditioned for a role in the Brisbane Arts Theatre production of Avenue Q, and ended up being cast as co-puppeteer for Trekkie Monster and Nicky, as well as being the puppetry trainer for the whole puppeteer cast. My official title was ‘puppetry consultant’.
In 2014 I was asked to train a new Avenue Q cast at Brisbane Arts Theatre. New director, new cast, new production team.
In 2017 I trained the Sunnybank Theatre Group production of Avenue Q.
Now in 2019, this is Toowoomba’s first local production of Avenue Q with performances taking place in February.
Elissa and I had a great time attending the show at USQ Artsworx last Friday 8 February 2019.
– Brett.

 
 
 

Larrikin Puppets at Rise & Shine Kindergarten – Maroochydore / Buderim, Sunshine Coast

Posted on by Brett Hansen

Larrikin Puppets performing at Rise and Shine Kindergarten in Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast
Performing at Rise & Shine Kindergarten, Maroochydore – Sunshine Coast

Engaging Puppet Shows Across the Sunshine Coast

On Monday, 18 February 2019, we brought joy to children at Rise & Shine Kindergarten in Maroochydore with our interactive puppet show. Our performances are designed to captivate young audiences, making learning fun and memorable.

Watch a 30-second highlight of our Sunshine Coast performances.

Our Sunshine Coast Journey

We cherish our time performing across the Sunshine Coast, including venues like Maroochydore State School, Noosa Tewantin Kindergarten, and the Cooroy Fusion Festival. Our shows have delighted audiences in Woombye, Buderim, Buddina, and beyond.

Children enjoying a puppet show at a Sunshine Coast kindergarten
Engaging young minds through puppetry.
Story Time puppet show during Book Week on the Sunshine Coast
Story Time sessions during Book Week.
Kindy Incursion Puppet Show - Children's Entertainment - Brisbane - Queensland
Freerange the Chicken entertaining the audience at a Sunshine Coast Childcare Centre.

Meet the Puppeteers

After completing three months of professional development in the USA, including training with Jim Henson puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street, Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins bring world-class puppetry to the Sunshine Coast. Our performances have featured on children’s TV shows like Totally Wild, Shake Takes, The Bureau of Magical Things, and Juiced TV, as well as a feature news report WIN News Sunshine Coast.

What We Offer

  • Interactive 45-minute puppet shows tailored for childcare centres and kindergartens.
  • Educational themes covering sharing, kindness, healthy eating, and more.
  • “How the puppets work” demonstrations to inspire young minds.
  • Meet-and-greet sessions with our friendly puppet characters.

Book a Show on the Sunshine Coast

If you’re a Sunshine Coast kindergarten or childcare centre interested in our puppet shows, visit our Childcare and Kindies page for more information.

Contact Us

For bookings and inquiries: https://www.larrikinpuppets.com.au/booking-enquiry/

Larrikin Puppets at Tewantin Community Kindergarten C&K

Posted on by Brett Hansen

On Friday, 15 February 2019 we’re heading up to Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast to perform a fun puppet show at Tewantin Community Kindergarten – part of C&K.

If you’d like a puppet show at your childcare centre or kindergarten, visit us at https://www.larrikinpuppets.com.au/childcare-and-kindies/

Children’s Entertainment for Childcare and Kindies

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Early Learning Centres, KindergartensSince our formation in 2012, Larrikin Puppets has performed at many childcare and kindergarten centres including all Avenues and Guppy’s Early Learning Centres, a large number of C&K and Goodstart Early Learning Centres, and many other independent centres and kindys.
We’ve completed three months of professional development in the USA, which included performances and advanced training with Jim Henson puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street.
We also perform in shopping centres, libraries, council festivals and schools all over South East Queensland and Central Queensland, and have performed puppetry on such children’s TV shows as Totally Wild, The Bureau of Magical Things and Juiced TV.
We present a colourful and exciting puppet show for childcare centres, featuring zany Muppet-style characters performing age appropriate songs, skits, jokes, games and live interaction with the audience. The puppets encourage the audience to dance, sing and play along. There’s also a “How the puppets work” demonstration at the end.
Brisbane Entertainment, Childrens Entertainer, School | Puppet Show, Story Time - Book WeekWe also offer our Story Time puppet show featuring a story book by one of three Australian children’s authors – read by Elissa with puppets demonstrating active listening and engagement, plus a story sing-along. Please let us know if you’d like us to present our story time show.
Total duration: 45 minutes.
Here’s a fun 30 second YouTube video showing all the excitement of our shows.
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Nurseryland Childcare Early Learning Centres
Cost Options:
All details about costs can be found here: https://www.larrikinpuppets.com.au/childcare-and-kindies/
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Little Seeds Early Learning, Palm Beach
Our puppet stage is 2.5 metres wide, plus the two speakers – making our front of stage roughly 3 metres to 3.5 metres in total. We use about 1.5 to 2 metres behind the stage to set up our puppets, props, seat and ourselves for performing. We use one powerpoint.
Blue Card and Insurance: 
Brett’s Blue Card number is 1161011/3, Elissa’s is 690261/3. We have public liability insurance through Duck For Cover Entertainers Insurance.
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Beach Road Child Care Centre Hervey Bay

School Incursions for Design and Technologies Curriculum

Posted on by Brett Hansen

School IncursionsLarrikin Puppets is excited to announce its 2019 School Incursions program. Our new program includes performances and workshops that are in line with the Design and Technologies strands of the Australian Curriculum. As part of this curriculum students create a simple two dimensional design then learn about working parts and how to turn their design into a three dimensional puppet character.
 
Many schools (both public and private) around South East Queensland and Central Queensland have booked Larrikin Puppets to either perform our puppet show – which includes a segment on how the puppets work, or run our puppetry performance workshop – which is a hands on workshop teaching students the mechanisms of Muppet-style puppetry.
Quite a few schools booked these in 2018 as part of their Design and Technologies curriculum including schools from rural and regional areas.

In 2019, in addition to our exciting puppet shows and intriguing puppetry performance workshops, we’ve also launched a new sock puppet craft and performance workshop. There are two versions of this workshop; one for ages 5-8 and a more advanced version for ages 9 and over.
 
 
We find that the puppet show performances are more enjoyed by students in Prep and Grades 1 and 2 while the workshops tend to be enjoyed by students of all ages.
While an ideal fit, our school incursions are not restricted to the early primary Design and Technologies curriculum, with many schools booking our workshops for upper primary as well, particularly as a supportive and fun medium for storytelling, drama, theatre, comedy, music and singing. We also run the same programs for Vacation Care.
Explore more info on the Sock Puppet Making Craft Workshops and the Puppetry Performance Workshops.
If you have any questions please complete the Booking Enquiry Form or contact Elissa on 0418 786 986.
School Incursions
 

Support us on Patreon: Larrikin Puppets Fuzzy Club!

Posted on by Brett Hansen


Join the NEW LARRIKIN PUPPETS FUZZY CLUB from just $1/month. NOT. EVEN. KIDDING. Here you’ll enjoy access to our Patreon-only Facebook members group where everything we’re doing gets talked about in detail. You’ll also get some bonus content for kids available only to Patreons.

Become a Patreon now:

Support us on Patreon

Would you love to see quality, original puppetry performance art that supports child development? Become a Larrikin Puppets patron now at www.patreon.com/larrikinpuppets

 
Larrikin Puppets has experienced growth and success beyond its wildest dreams and, for that, we will be forever grateful. We love the impact we’ve made so far on children of all ages all over South-East Queensland through our live puppet shows and puppetry performance workshops.
A sustainable puppetry arts business is almost unheard of in this day and age. We get that. We also get that we’re lucky to have a thriving arts business. In fact, the harder we work at the art of puppetry, the luckier we get. 😉
But the current cast of cute, colourful characters are starting to get a bit antsy. They long for something more. They desperately want to talk, dance, sing and interact with more children – children in Australia and all over the world. They also yearn for some artistic freedom!
Making quality original puppetry performance art – puppet building, scripting, songwriting and dance choreography – that supports child development is super expensive. But with plenty of public support, we know we can do it!
Why? Because learning through reading, talking, dancing and singing is where it’s at. In fact, 90% of a child’s brain development happens in the first 5 years and, in the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second.
The experts at Harvard University say:
“…providing young children with a healthy environment in which to learn and grow is not only good for their development—economists have also shown that high-quality early childhood programs bring impressive returns on investment to the public.”
This means supporting Larrikin Puppets is not only wonderful for parents or carers with children, but for anyone who wants to see children across Australia and around the world experience high learning, behaviour and health outcomes.
Your support will give Larrikin Puppets the artistic freedom to:
– create original live shows for children with themes around multiculturalism, social inclusion, the environment and kindness/anti-bullying.
– write, film and produce an original TV series for children focusing on joy, play, love, kindness, compassion and empathy.
– write a CD of original children’s music.
– build new original puppets, sets and props.
Supporting Larrikin Puppets on Patreon will bring you and your kids joy, laughter and learning PLUS you’ll receive behind the scenes inside scoops into this crazy, colourful world of fuzzy puppets.
Together let’s talk, play, sing, dance and interact with fast paced puppet fun!
For more info about what we do, visit the Larrikin Puppets website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Become a Patreon now:

Support us on Patreon

Larrikin Puppets at The Buderim Tavern | Sunshine Coast

Posted on by Brett Hansen


Larrikin Puppets will be performing two school holiday puppet shows for the whole family at The Buderim Tavern – 81 Burnett Street, Buderim (Sunshine Coast, QLD). The first one is on Tuesday 22 January 2019 starting at 4:30pm. The second one is during the Easter school holidays on Tuesday 16 April 2019, also starting at 4:30pm.
These are a FREE family shows at Buderim Tavern!
Book a table for dinner after the show!
Ph: 5453 3777

Larrikin Puppets are bringing their colourful and exciting puppet show to the Buderim Tavern for a special school holiday performance!
Be delighted by Troggg the friendly blue monster and all of his furry, funny friends at 4:30pm before dinner!
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Festival Entertainment, Woodford | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - PuppeteerPuppeteers Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins have performed and trained in the USA with Jim Henson puppeteers from “Sesame Street” and “The Muppets”. Larrikin Puppets has appeared at events such as the Woodford Folk Festival and the Puppetry Arts Festival of Brooklyn (NYC), and on TV shows The Bureau of Magical Things and Totally Wild!
For further details, visit the Buderim Tavern official event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2220011568240765/
This is not the first event Larrikin Puppets has performed at pubs, clubs, RSLs, restaurants, hotels, resorts or halls. Larrikin Puppets has previously performed at Kawana Waters Hotel (Buddina), Tewantin-Noosa RSL, The Belvedere Hotel (Woody Point), Blue Pacific Hotel (Woorim), The Glen Hotel (Eight Mile Plains), The Gardens Club (Brisbane City), Seagulls Leagues Club (Tweed Heads), Tabatinga Tweed Heads (also at Seagulls Leagues Club), The Greek Club (South Brisbane), Casablanca Restaurant/Bar/Club (Petrie Tce, Brisbane), Paradise Resort (Surfers Paradise), Moura Kianga Hall / Kianga Memorial Hall, Paddington Community Hall, Langley Park Hall (Camira), Kruger Hall (Kallangur), Excelsior Band Hall (Maryborough), Kilcoy Memorial Hall and Cultural Centre, Burpengary Community Hall, Murarrie Progress Association Community Hall, Injune Memorial Hall, Mowbraytown Hall (East Brisbane), Wellington Point Community Hall and Rosalie Baptist Church Hall.

Larrikin Puppets has also performed in other parts of the Sunshine Coast such as Kuluin, Sippy Downs, Maroochydore and more.
We hope you can join us at the Buderim Tavern.

Queensland Theatre of Puppetry (QTOP) / Timbarra Productions / Larrikin Puppets / The Mark Rengel Puppet Theatre Company

Posted on by Brett Hansen

We had a great time yesterday watching “Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs” puppet show at Queensland Theatre of Puppetry (QTOP) starring Phil Bell (Timbarra Productions) and his young cast of puppeteers on school holidays! Joining us was Mark from The Mark Rengel Puppet Theatre Company.
Queensland Theatre of Puppetry (QTOP) / Timbarra Productions / Larrikin Puppets / The Mark Rengel Puppet Theatre CompanyQueensland Theatre of Puppetry (QTOP) / Timbarra Productions / Larrikin Puppets / The Mark Rengel Puppet Theatre CompanyThis was our second visit to the theatre. The Queensland Theatre of Puppetry events are held in the Gerda Pinter Pavilion at MacIntosh Island Park in Surfers Paradise. This venue is a dedicated puppet theatre, and is fully equipped with great lighting, sound, curtains, seating, and everything that makes a puppet show look the best it can be. Cost of entry was $6 cash at the door, and all of that money is donated to charity.
The theatre is not seen very well from the street so it can be a bit tricky to find. It is located in Macintosh Island Park, which is at the corner of Admiralty Drive, and the Gold Coast Hwy, Surfers Paradise.
Macintosh Island Park is a great family spot to enjoy before or after the puppet shows. It has playgrounds, shady picnic spots, barbecues, toilets and is a short stroll from Main Beach.
Here’s a photo from our first visit to QTOP in 2018:
Queensland Theatre of PuppetryIf you would like to attend any of The Queensland Theatre of Puppetry performances, please visit their official website: https://qtop.org.au/ 
The next big production they’ll be performing in 2019 is “Alice In Wonderland” during the Easter School holidays. You can also keep up to date with everything QTOP is doing via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Queensland-Theatre-of-Puppetry-QTOP-182158445148404/
 
 

Larrikin Puppets at Kristine’s 80th Birthday | The Gardens Club Brisbane

Posted on by Brett Hansen

Kristine is turning 80! So we’re performing a very special puppet show for her and the whole clan at a private function at The Gardens Club near QUT Gardens Point in Brisbane CBD.
Having an 80th birthday or any other kind of birthday or special occasion? We perform in clubs, pubs, restaurants, halls and more.

Your 80th birthday function could be for adults only, or it could be for the whole family. When we perform puppet shows at events like this we like to incorporate a few jokes and references specifically about the person celebrating their birthday or anniversary or any kind of event.

Larrikin Puppets at Davy’s 4th Birthday Party | Cleveland, QLD

Posted on by Brett Hansen

Troggg and his fluffy friends are heading to Davy’s 4th Birthday Party today in Cleveland!
Birthday Party puppet shows have been part of the Larrikin Puppets menu of options since the beginning.
Book a puppet show for your birthday party today! Here’s how: https://www.larrikinpuppets.com.au/forkids-party-entertainment-brisbane/
One of the earliest puppet shows Brett Hansen performed was for his brother Dale’s birthday party. He made a puppet stage out of an old fridge box, curtains out of streamers, and a collection of puppet characters – Duck, Hippopotamus, Pig and Little Bird performed for the crowd.
Many years later, the first puppet show performed under the Larrikin Puppets business was for the birthday party of Jacob in Bardon. One of the parents at that show subsequently booked Larrikin Puppets for her children’s birthday party in Paddington. Almost every other birthday party puppet show since has been booked via the booking enquiry form here on the Larrikin Puppets website.
Here’s what a few folks around South Bank Parklands thought about puppets when Troggg interviewed them way back in 2013:

You would be surprised how many kids named Charlie (boys and girls) have had birthday parties since this video of a Larrikin Puppets birthday show came out. Quite a few!

https://www.larrikinpuppets.com.au/forkids-party-entertainment-brisbane/