ABOUT LARRIKIN PUPPETS
Award-winning Larrikin Puppets is one of Australia’s leading professional puppetry companies, creating original puppet shows, theatre productions, workshops, television projects, music, podcasts and digital content for audiences of all ages.
Founded in 2012 by puppeteer and musician Brett Hansen and based on Bribie Island in regional Queensland, Larrikin Puppets has entertained more than 100,000 children and families through performances at schools, libraries, theatres, festivals, childcare centres, shopping centres, museums, community events and regional touring venues throughout Australia.
Known for its colourful characters, original music and highly interactive performances, Larrikin Puppets combines world-class puppetry techniques with Australian storytelling, humour and heart. Every production is designed to inspire imagination, encourage participation and create unforgettable shared experiences for audiences.
Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins received professional puppetry training in the United States under Jim Henson puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street. Since then, they have built a body of work spanning live entertainment, theatre, television, film, education and community engagement.
In 2026, Larrikin Puppets won the Creative Industries Award at the Pumicestone Business Excellence Awards and presented sixteen performances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Their work has also been featured at major festivals, theatres and events throughout Australia, from capital cities to remote regional and outback communities.
Beyond live pop-up puppet shows, Larrikin Puppets develops original Australian creative projects. Their work includes the Little Larrikins Podcast, the educational platform Little Larrikins Learning, the television project Yompers, and musical theatre productions Hijabi Girl: A Musical Puppet Show, which premiered at Kingston Butter Factory Butterbox Theatre in 2022, and Zietta and the Little Larrikins, which premiered at Redcliffe Entertainment Centre in 2026.
The company has created and released original children’s music that has been broadcast on Kinderling and ABC Kids Listen radio and streamed globally across digital platforms. Their YouTube channel features puppet comedy, original songs, high quality nursery rhyme videos, educational content, behind-the-scenes videos and creative collaborations enjoyed by audiences around the world.
As advocates for the art of puppetry, Brett and Elissa have shared their passion through keynote presentations, workshops and their TEDxBrisbane talk. They continue to champion puppetry as a powerful tool for education, creativity, communication and entertainment.
Larrikin Puppets’ work extends beyond the stage and classroom. Brett and Elissa have performed puppetry for television productions including Shake Takes, Totally Wild and The Bureau of Magical Things, music videos for artists including Regurgitator, Illy and Tia Gostelow, and a wide range of film, theatre and commercial projects.
Beloved characters including Troggg, Marina, Scrambles, Freerange the Chicken, Frizzby, Flossy and their many puppet friends continue to delight audiences wherever they appear, bringing laughter, kindness, curiosity and a healthy dose of mischief to every performance.
Whether performing in a theatre, a school hall, a television studio, a regional community or a major festival, Larrikin Puppets remains committed to a simple mission: bringing imagination, joy and wide-eyed wonder to children and families everywhere.
HIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS
- Winner, Creative Industries Award, Pumicestone Business Excellence Awards (2026)
- Winner, Best Live Kids Show, What’s On 4 Kids Awards (2021)
- Winner, BizCover NEIS Change Award (2015)
- TEDxBrisbane speakers and advocates for puppetry in education and entertainment
- Professional training under Jim Henson puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street
- Sixteen performances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (2026)
- Television credits including Shake Takes, Totally Wild and The Bureau of Magical Things
- Creators of original theatre productions, podcasts, music and educational resources
- More than 100,000 children and families entertained since 2012
- Regional and outback touring throughout Queensland and Australia
You can follow Larrikin Puppets on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Based on Bribie Island in Queensland, Larrikin Puppets tours nationally and internationally, delivering professional puppetry entertainment, theatre productions and workshops for:
- Curriculum-aligned puppet shows and workshops for early childhood services, kindergartens, primary schools and high schools.
- Professional theatre productions and regional touring performances.
- Festivals, shopping centres, clubs, pubs, RSLs, councils and corporate events.
- Libraries, story-time programs and community arts events.
- Vacation care, OSHC and school holiday programs.
- Disability organisations, inclusive events and special schools.
- Television, film and digital productions, including puppeteer casting and training.
- Event hosting and MC work featuring Elissa and the much-loved blue monster, Troggg.
Larrikin Puppets specialises in Muppet-style puppetry inspired by the work of the late Jim Henson, while creating original Australian characters, stories, songs and experiences for contemporary audiences.
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR; PRINCIPAL PUPPETEER
BRETT HANSEN
Founder, Creative Director & Principal Puppeteer
Brett Hansen is the founder, creative director and principal puppeteer of Larrikin Puppets, an award-winning Australian puppetry company recognised for its live performances, original productions, television work, music, digital content and creative education programs.
Since establishing Larrikin Puppets in 2012, Brett has performed for more than 100,000 children and families throughout Australia. His work has taken him from major theatres and festivals to schools, libraries, museums, childcare centres, regional communities and remote outback locations, helping introduce new generations of audiences to the art of puppetry.
A lifelong fan of Jim Henson-style puppetry, Brett founded Larrikin Puppets with a vision to create high-quality Australian puppet entertainment that inspires imagination, laughter and connection. Today, his original puppet characters, including Troggg, Scrambles, Freerange the Chicken, Moss, Frizzby and their many puppet friends, are enjoyed by audiences across live performance, digital media and educational projects.
Brett is also a songwriter, creative producer and content creator. He has written and recorded original music for Larrikin Puppets productions, co-created the Little Larrikins Podcast, developed educational resources through Little Larrikins Learning, and serves as creator and executive producer of the television project Yompers, a large-scale creative collaboration involving more than fifty artists and creatives.
In 2026, Brett and Larrikin Puppets presented sixteen performances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and received the Creative Industries Award at the Pumicestone Business Excellence Awards. He has also appeared as a TEDxBrisbane speaker (performing as Troggg alongside Elissa Jenkins), advocating for the power of puppetry, creativity and storytelling to educate, entertain and bring communities together.
In 2016, Brett undertook an extended professional development journey in the United States, where he trained, networked and performed with some of the world’s leading puppeteers. He completed advanced puppetry training at the Beyond The Sock workshop at the University of North Texas under Marty Robinson and Noel MacNeal of Sesame Street and The Muppets, alongside puppet construction training with Pasha Romanowski of Project Puppet. He also studied at The Puppet Kitchen in Manhattan under Michael Schupbach of Sesame Street and The Jim Henson Company.
During his time in New York City, Brett performed with Troggg and friends at the Puppetry Arts Festival of Brooklyn, one of the highlights of his professional development experience and an important milestone in the growth of Larrikin Puppets.
Brett is widely recognised for his work as both a performer and puppetry consultant. He has trained performers for multiple productions of the Broadway musical Avenue Q, including productions by Brisbane Arts Theatre, Sunnybank Theatre Group, Shoebox Theatre Company (Toowoomba) and CHATS Productions Inc. (Coffs Harbour), and was also a puppeteer cast member in Brisbane Arts Theatre’s 2012 production.
His original stage productions include Thank Troggg You’re Here: A Puppet Impro Spectacular!, Show Of Hands, Hijabi Girl: A Musical Puppet Show, and numerous touring productions developed through Larrikin Puppets. His work combines humour, music, audience interaction and contemporary themes to create memorable theatrical experiences for audiences of all ages.
Brett’s television and screen credits include puppetry performances for Shake Takes, Totally Wild, The Bureau of Magical Things, Juiced TV, The Late Nite Show and Showreel. His puppetry work has also featured in films, creative projects and music videos for artists including Regurgitator, Illy and Tia Gostelow.
As an advocate for the Australian puppetry industry, Brett continues to create opportunities for emerging performers, collaborate with artists across multiple disciplines and champion puppetry as a powerful form of storytelling, education and entertainment.
Through every performance, workshop, production and creative project, Brett remains committed to the same goal that inspired him to start Larrikin Puppets in 2012: bringing wonder, imagination and joy to audiences everywhere.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT PUPPETEER
ELISSA JENKINS
Artistic Director, Producer & Puppeteer
Elissa Jenkins is the Artistic Director, producer and co-performer behind many of Larrikin Puppets’ most ambitious creative projects. Working alongside founder Brett Hansen, she helps shape the artistic vision, strategic direction and long-term growth of the award-winning company.
Combining creativity, leadership and project development expertise, Elissa plays a central role in producing new theatre works, securing funding opportunities, developing partnerships and bringing large-scale creative ideas to life. She is also an accomplished puppeteer and performer, appearing as Marina, Flossy, Yellow Beard and a variety of other puppet and human characters across Larrikin Puppets productions.
In 2026, Elissa successfully secured Regional Arts Development Fund support for Zietta and the Little Larrikins, a large-scale musical theatre production celebrating creativity, culture and community. The production premiered at Redcliffe Entertainment Centre and represented a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing expansion into original theatrical works.
Elissa has also played a key role in the development of Yompers, an original television project involving more than fifty artists and creatives, and has helped guide the growth of initiatives including the Little Larrikins Podcast, Little Larrikins Learning and the company’s expanding catalogue of original music and digital content.
In addition to her work within Larrikin Puppets, Elissa brings more than two decades of experience across communications, marketing, media, leadership, project management and organisational development. She has worked across the corporate, community, environmental and not-for-profit sectors, helping organisations grow, innovate and create positive change.
Elissa received formal puppetry training at The Puppet Kitchen in Manhattan, New York, under Michael Schupbach of Sesame Street and The Jim Henson Company. Her professional development journey has helped strengthen the creative partnership that sits at the heart of Larrikin Puppets.
A passionate advocate for creativity, community engagement and lifelong learning, Elissa has contributed to projects and initiatives throughout Australia and internationally. Her volunteer and professional experiences have taken her to countries including Kenya, Brazil, Austria and Taiwan, helping build a broad global perspective that informs her work as a creative leader.
In 2013, Elissa was recognised as one of YWCA Queensland’s 125 Leading Women, celebrating women who have made significant contributions to their communities through leadership, service and action.
Elissa is the Founder and Executive Director of Wide-Eyed Wonder Ltd, a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to expanding access to live performing arts for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Established in 2026, Wide-Eyed Wonder seeks funding and partnerships to bring theatre, puppetry, music and other creative experiences to children in communities where access to the arts is limited. Guided by the belief that wonder can inspire joy, resilience, empathy and connection, the organisation works to ensure more children can experience the transformative power of live performance.
While audiences may know her as the smiling human host beside Troggg and friends, behind the scenes Elissa is one of the key driving forces helping Larrikin Puppets continue to grow, innovate and reach new audiences across Australia and beyond.
Together, Brett and Elissa remain committed to creating experiences that inspire imagination, celebrate creativity and bring joy to children, families and communities everywhere.
Larrikin Puppets is a Blue Card holding business, regulated by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000. We’re covered by Public Liability Insurance through Duck for Cover Entertainers’ Group Inc.
