Larrikin Puppets presented a talk at TEDx Brisbane!

Elissa and Troggg from Larrikin Puppets delivered a TEDx Talk at TEDx Brisbane in October 2023

Elissa and Troggg presented a talk at the highly acclaimed TEDx Brisbane on 14 October 2023.

The theme for TEDx Brisbane 2023 was ‘The Power of Intention’. What is our intention when it comes to the art of puppetry?

We are super proud of both the delivery and the content of our TEDx Talk. The professional video recording is available to watch on YouTube here.

A big thanks to Juanita, Rob and everyone at TEDx Brisbane for your support in rehearsing and producing our talk. It was an experience we’ll never forget!

Larrikin Puppets at Kids Academy – Hope Island | Child Care Puppet Show

Larrikin Puppets are performing two puppet shows for the children at Kids Academy – Hope Island on Wednesday, 24 July 2019. The first show will be at 10am for the 3-5 age group. The second show will start at 10:45am for the 0-3 age group.

Larrikin Puppets perform a fun and exciting Childcare Puppet Show that will bring laughs to the children and the teachers alike!

Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins, along with their gaggle of funny, friendly puppet characters provide top quality fun and colourful entertainment for childcare centres, day care, playgroup and kindergarten in and around Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and beyond. See below for full details on how you can create a special and memorable day of puppets at your child care centre!
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Larrikin Puppets

Cost Options: 
There are a few different cost options depending on location and how many puppeteers (1 or 2). All of this information can be found here: https://test.larrikinpuppets.com.au/childcare-and-kindies/
Please note: Shows with themed, educational content will require both puppeteers.

There is an initial 50% deposit to secure the booking.

This ensures that the chosen booking time is yours, and we’ll knock back others wanting the same date and time. And then the remaining balance can be paid in cash on the day of the event, or via direct deposit afterwards. Details of Payment Methods here.

 Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare, Taigum Child Care Centre

Description:

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. Creative play is very important for the 0-5 year age groups. We then present a “How the puppets work” demonstration at the end.

Total duration:

45 minutes.

Educational content – such as sharing, kindness, exercise, looking after the environment and healthy eating – can also be requested in your booking enquiry. Educational shows require the two puppeteers. In most cases we are booked to perform our regular fun and exciting childcare puppet show which celebrates creative play!

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare, Larrikin Puppets

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare, Taigum Child Care Centre, Brett HansenThe show is followed by an additional presentation (lasting about 5 minutes) where Brett and Elissa demonstrate to the audience how all the puppets work. Then a 5-10 minute meet-and-greet were the kids can get their photo taken with “Troggg” the blue monster and his little sister “Marina”. All up it’s about a 45 minute performance.

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare, Taigum Child Care Centre, QLD

 Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Story TimeWe also offer Story Time with Larrikin Puppets at childcare / kindy, which is a segment in which Elissa reads a children’s book by an Australian author, while Troggg, Frazzamatazz and friends play along with the story. More details about our story time segment here.

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Story Time, Brisbane

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, AEIOU Early Learning Childcare | AEIOU Foundation for children with autismFor shows where we have been requested to incorporate content on healthy eating and food allergies, this information has been sourced from consultations with expert naturopath and nutritionist Lauren Stark BHSc from Naturally For You Health & Wellness.

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Naturally For You Health & Wellness

On the day:

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Beach Road Child Care Centre Hervey BayPuppeteers arrive at the childcare centre 1 hour before the puppet show’s starting time to set up the stage, sound equipment, props and puppets. The show (as described above) is performed for 30 minutes, followed by the 5 minute “how the puppets work” demonstration, and the 5-10 minute meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with Troggg. The puppeteers then pack up the stage and other equipment.

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Beaucare Child Care & Community Services, Beaudesert, Gold Coast

Inclusions:

  • 30 minute puppet show of songs, games, jokes and comical interaction with the audience.
  •  5 minute “How the puppets work” demonstration.
  •  5-10 minute puppet meet-and-greet / Photo opportunity with Troggg the blue monster.
  •  Time allowance for travel to and from, set-up and pack-up 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, Nurseryland Childcare Early Learning Centres

Professional Development and Formal Training:
Brett and Elissa have completed three months of professional development in the USA, which included advanced, formal training with Jim Henson puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street.
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.

Enquire Now!

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Early Learning CentresSunkids at Burleigh said, “We had Larrikin Puppets attend our childcare centre last week and absolutely loved it! Brett kept all 106 children in the centre amused and laughing their heads off the entire time! They are still talking about the ‘cute’ and ‘crazy’ puppets! What an amazing show! Thanks Brett can’t wait to have you back!!”.
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Little Willow Early Learning Centre, Bracken RidgeBeaucare in Beudesert said, “An absolutely fantastic puppet show! The children loved it, lots of laughter and excitement! Brett was very professional in his manner, extremely well organised and engaging with the children. Informative and educational show, the children were delighted to be able to touch the puppets and see how they are manipulated. I recommend Larrikin Puppets, incredible children’s entertainers!”
Larrikin Puppets will also perform at public events at the childcare centre, like centre open days, fetes, and Christmas break up parties.
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Early Learning Centre, Larrikin Puppets

Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Early Learning Centres, KindergartensFor more information and updates about Larrikin Puppets and our work with childcare centres, please ‘Like’ our Facebook page.
612 ABC Brisbane’s Spencer Howson wrote an article for Bmag about Brett Hansen and Larrikin Puppets. See it here.
Children's Entertainment, Children’s Entertainers, Party Entertainment For Hire | Puppet Show, Puppetry Workshops - Childcare Centres, Early Learning Centres, Taigum Child Care Centre

Larrikin Puppets in Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show Music Video

Puppeteers Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins from Larrikin Puppets are delighted and honoured to be working on a music video, performing puppet versions of Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show band members and characters: Ben Ely, Quan Yeomans, Pete Kostic, the effervescent Koko direct from Planet Rainbow, Ghost Cat and Mr. Butt.

You can find out all about Regurgitator’s Pogogo Show at their official website.
Their debut album – The Really Really Really Really Boring Album (released through ABC Music) – is available to order or download from a number of different platforms listed here.
 

This is not the first time Larrikin Puppets have performed in a music video. Back in 2017, Triple J Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative Winner Tia Gostelow released a single called, “That’s What You Get”, which featured puppetry by Brett and Elissa in the video.
Tia Gostelow
While the bulk of puppetry work Larrikin Puppets do is live performances, film and television work is always special for Brett and Elissa. Australia doesn’t have as many opportunities for puppeteers on television anymore. Gone are the days of Agro, Ozzie Ostrich, The Channel Niners, C’mon Kids, Shirl’s Neighbourhood, Lift Off, The Ferals, Mr. Squiggle and countless TV commercials featuring zany puppet characters made of felt and fur.
Opportunities like this are rare and very much appreciated by Larrikin Puppets. Brett Hansen has received advanced, formal training in the USA by Jim Henson puppeteers from Sesame Street and The Muppets – with specific focus on Henson style monitor puppetry for film and TV. Elissa Jenkins too has received some training in the USA at NYC’s The Puppet Kitchen.
Film & TV
Larrikin Puppets also provide puppetry for short films, TV shows and commercials. Our blue monster star Troggg will appear in any production, or Brett Hansen can puppeteer characters that you have created.
If you have a cast of performers without puppetry experience, Brett can provide training and supervision on set.
We have received formal film and TV monitor puppetry training in the USA under Jim Henson puppeteers from The Muppets and Sesame Street.
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Examples of our Film and TV puppetry (both as performer and trainer/supervisor):
Totally Wild – Long running kids’ TV series on Network Ten, Channel Eleven and TenPlay. In an episode filmed in January 2018 (aired in March 2018), Brooke Marsden interviews Brett Hansen about puppets, and uses Frazzamatazz to learn puppetry techniques. Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins perform Troggg, Marina, Flossy and Frizzby in the segment:
 

 
 
The Bureau of Magical Things – Kids’ fantasy-drama TV series on Network Ten and Channel Eleven produced by Jonathan M. Shiff, and starring Kimie Tsukakoshi, Jamie Carter, Elizabeth Cullen, Julian Cullen, Mia Milnes, Rainbow Wedell, Melanie Zanetti, Nicholas Bell, Christopher Sommers and Steve Nation. Brett Hansen was a puppeteer in Episode 11 – performing a magical pogo stick. Below are Brett’s scenes. Brett’s in the dumpster wrestling with Kyra (played by Kimie Tsukakoshi), and he has been digitally removed from scenes where the stick is bouncing around. The movement is all puppetry rather than CGI. There were three versions of the pogo stick. Two of them were puppets with green rigging attached for Brett to manipulate it. The third had no rigging, and was used in close ups where Brett peeked it out from behind a tree, made it look both ways, jiggle and fall down.


Juiced TV – Kids’ TV series created by Juiced Enterprises. Produced by Pip Russell, in partnership with Children’s Hospital Foundation. Brett Hansen puppeteered Troggg throughout the show as host, and was interviewed about puppetry during the show’s final segment:

 

Tia Gostelow: That’s What You Get – Music video produced by Emma Giddins, and directed by Branden Wittchen & Luke Angelo-Roberts at Why Not? Films. Larrikin Puppets’ Brett Hansen and Elissa Jenkins puppeteered Rick and Louisa – two puppets built for the project by Scott Richards at Maxx Puppets. As well as Tia Gostelow and the puppets, the video also stars actor Ryan Hance:

5 for 35 – Short film written and produced by Richard Bell. Co-Produced by Josh Milani. Directed by Brad Lindenmayer. Brett Hansen puppeteered Lil Gary Foley Psychiatrist, Lil Death (Moss) and others throughout the film. Screened in 2015/2016 at the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT8) – Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art. 5 for 35 Richard Bell

Kev – Short film written by Branden J Wittchen, directed Luke Angelo-Roberts & Branden J Wittchen, and produced by Emma Giddins of Why Not? Films. Brett Hansen performed the puppetry for two characters in the film – Kev (a bigoted Aussie orange monster played by Frizzby) and a bumbling puppet Police officer who has his priorities all wrong: Kev poster

Heart of a Thousand Souls – Short film written and directed by Luke Walker, and produced by Jessica Magro. Along with Troggg (who has a minor role), the film stars Tahlia Jade, Ben Taylor, Charnstar Anderson, Kaushik Das, Cory Simpson and Rachel Partridge. Brett Hansen puppeteered Troggg in a few scenes:
http://vimeo.com/98850096
 
 
Vox Poppin’ – Troggg’s street interviews video by Greg Kelly at Creative Clones:
 
 

 
 
 
Larrikin Puppets Official Video – Larrikin Puppets filmed by Gabor Kukucska from InspireFlix:

 
The Puppeteer – Larrikin Puppets documentary by Gabor Kukucska from InspireFlix:
https://inspireflix.com/docos/the-puppeteer/
 
The Late Nite Show – TV show on 31 Digital, created by Scott Black. Troggg appeared as a guest a few times:
Troggg_Late_Nite_Show_3_Facebook
 
Showreel – TV show on 31 Digital, written by Matt Clayton, Clare Abbotts, Dani Bachinger, John Ryan, Catherine Tucker, Kristy Walker, and produced by Dan Randall. Production coordinator Brooke Matthews. Interview with Brett Hansen and Troggg:

 
CLUCK! Episode 1: The Cockblock of the Century – Web Series written by Lucy Nicklan, produced by Stephanie Walsh, and directed by Vincent Chen. Brett Hansen provided puppetry training, assistance and supervision on set for the two puppet characters (played by Jake Ashton and Kitty Gatling), puppeteered the main character in one scene, and puppeteered a tie being pulled into a paper shredder:

 
 
CLUCK! Episode 2: Fowl Behavior – Web Series written by Lucy Nicklan, produced by Stephanie Walsh, and directed by Vincent Chen. Brett Hansen provided puppetry training, assistance and supervision on set for the two puppet characters (played by Jake Ashton and Kitty Gatling), puppeteered the main character in one scene, and puppeteered a tie being pulled into a paper shredder:

 
 
CLUCK! Episode 3: Poultry in Motion – Web Series written by Lucy Nicklan, produced by Stephanie Walsh, and directed by Vincent Chen. Brett Hansen provided puppetry training, assistance and supervision on set for the two puppet characters (played by Jake Ashton and Kitty Gatling), puppeteered the main character in one scene, and puppeteered a tie being pulled into a paper shredder:

 
CLUCK! Behind The Scenes: The Puppets – Footage of Brett Hansen and Jake Ashton working with the puppets made by Lierre Beutel and Gemma Keliher: