Elissa Jenkins

Elissa Jenkins is an Australian puppeteer, performer, writer, and campaigner who is best known for her work at Larrikin Puppets alongside her husband Brett Hansen. She serves as co-puppeteer and human host for the company and together they performed and toured across Queensland and around the world. Elissa was trained to puppeteer by Muppet designer Michael Schupbach at The Puppet Kitchen as other Muppet and Sesame Street performers in New York. Jenkins also writes songs, poetry, puppet shows, scripts, and articles, even maintaining her website/blog since creating it in 2004. Working with Brett at Larrikin, she did numerous productions such as Yompers, some music videos, and Zietta and the Little Larrikins, just to name a few. In 2026, they even got to perform as part of a puppet program for the Make-Believe Magic: The Worlds of the Jim Henson Company exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery. Besides working with her husband, Elissa Jenkins also serves as an environment & human rights campaigner where she supports people to develop their organization's fundraising strategy, most notably The Green Institute since 2008. I think it's amazing that this woman is able to do so much to the world besides entertaining children with puppets. From puppeteer to writer to campaigner, she manages to keep everything on schedule throughout her career, and she should be very proud of it. Elissa has Schupbach to thank for giving her and Hansen puppetry training, otherwise she wouldn't be doing so much in Australia and internationally. Jenkins must reunite with her trainers one of these days, or at least keep in touch with them, so she'll always remember what great performers they are. Larrikin Puppets will always be in her heart, even if the company closes, she'll never forget it. Let's wait and see what she has next in store for the future. Elissa Jenkins, from being at Larrikin Puppets to campaigning The Green Institute, you've done so much good across Australia and the globe. Keep up the fantastic work and make sure to keep in touch with Schupbach and other Sesame Street or Muppet performers that have trained you and your husband. If it weren't for their teachings, you wouldn't be the star you are today. Excellent job in performing and writing Elissa. Larrikin Puppets is your life Jenkins!

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