Month: February 2019

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://test.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://test.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://test.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

Larrikin Puppets at Caba Happy Home Family Day Care

Posted on by Brett Hansen

On Thursday, 7 February 2019 we’re heading down to Bogangar in Northern NSW to perform a fun puppet show at Caba Happy Home – part of the Northern Rivers Family Day Care scheme.
If you’d like a puppet show at your childcare centre or family day care, visit us at https://test.larrikinpuppets.com.au/childcare-and-kindies/

Children’s Entertainment for Childcare and Kindies

Since our formation in 2012, Larrikin Puppets has performed at many childcare centres and kindergartens 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.
Cost:
$475 – Two performers; Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins.
Cost Covers:
– Two performers.
– 30 minute puppet show of songs, games, jokes and comical interaction with the audience.
– 5 minute “How the puppets work” demonstration.
– 10 minute puppet meet-and-greet / Photo opportunity.
– Time allowance for travel to and from venue.
– Load in, set-up and pack-down of the puppet stage, props, puppets and sound equipment.
– Rehearsal time prior to the event.
– Quality characters.
– Quality puppetry.
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.

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