Every now and then something happens that makes you stop and think, “I never imagined this would be part of our journey.”
This week was one of those moments.
Back in late March, I received an email from Matilda Elliott, a writer from Take 5 Magazine. She had come across Larrikin Puppets on TikTok and wondered if Elissa and I would be interested in sharing the story of how we met, fell in love and eventually built Larrikin Puppets together.
After spending quite a while chatting with Matilda, she told us our story would be appearing in an upcoming issue of the magazine. We knew it was on its way, but we didn’t know exactly when it would be published.
Seeing ourselves on the front cover of the national magazine this week, sitting on the rack at our local supermarket was a pretty surreal experience.
Inside was a two-page spread telling the story of how Elissa and I met, how our relationship grew, and how Larrikin Puppets became such a big part of our lives together. The feature appeared in Take 5 Magazine, Issue 26 (6 July 2026).
Before anyone asks, Elissa didn’t write the article. Matilda interviewed both of us and then wrote the feature in the style that Take 5 is known for. Like any magazine article, it’s an interpretation of our story rather than a word-for-word account of our conversation. Some events have been simplified, some conversations have been recreated, and a few moments have been presented a little more dramatically than they happened in real life. That’s simply the nature of magazine storytelling, and it was interesting to see our journey through someone else’s eyes.
I have to admit, I don’t buy many magazines these days, so it felt a little strange seeing ourselves on the cover of one. I’m not even sure how many people still read print magazines, but for one week there we were, sitting on the shelves of supermarkets and newsagents all around Australia.
It was fun reading our story from someone else’s perspective. The article goes all the way back to 2005 when Elissa was organising a charity fashion show and needed someone to design a logo. She found my website, complete with my cartoons and a rather memorable bright red mohawk, and that’s where our story first began.
Life took us in different directions after that and we lost touch for several years. We met again after my brother Todd and I organised a fundraising music event in memory of our mum, Helen, following her battle with ovarian cancer. Elissa came along to support the event, we reconnected, stayed in touch through social media, and eventually caught up at a party she invited me to. Looking back now, it’s funny to think that such a simple decision to rock up to a party led to everything we’ve built together since.
From there, the article follows the growth of both our relationship and Larrikin Puppets. It touches on my decision to leave my full-time job and pursue puppetry full time, Elissa gradually becoming a puppeteer herself, our training in the United States with Henson puppeteers, and some of the great opportunities we’ve had over the years performing around Australia, collaborating on creative projects and developing new ideas for the future.
Of course, twenty years of life can’t possibly fit into two magazine pages. There are countless stories, adventures, setbacks, laughs, long drives, puppet builds, school performances and unforgettable moments that never made it into print. But that’s perfectly okay. I think Matilda captured the heart of our story, and that’s what matters most.
I’m grateful to Matilda Elliott for discovering Larrikin Puppets on TikTok and taking an interest in what we do, and to everyone at Take 5 Magazine for giving our story a place in the magazine. It’s certainly not something I ever expected when I started Larrikin Puppets back in 2012.
Magazine issues only stay on the shelves for a short time, which is one of the reasons I wanted to write this blog post. Long after this issue has disappeared from supermarkets and newsagents, I’ll still be able to look back on this page and remember what a special milestone it was. Thankfully, we also have these photos of the cover and the two-page feature to help preserve the memory.
If you’re reading this years from now, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little glimpse into a very unexpected chapter in the Larrikin Puppets story. Moments like this don’t happen every day, and I’m very thankful that Elissa and I have been able to share our journey with so many awesome people over the years.
If you’ve been part of the Larrikin Puppets journey over the years, whether you booked a puppet show, saw us performing at a festival, watched our TEDx talk, followed us on social media or simply cheered us on from afar, thank you. We genuinely appreciate your support, and we’re excited to see what comes next.
Brett Hansen
Founder & Principal Puppeteer
Larrikin Puppets
