Jennifer Davidson, a designer and director, founded Terrapin in 1981 from the ashes of the Tasmanian Puppet Theatre. The company found rapid success in touring Tasmanian schools, establishing a strong design reputation with a well-equipped workshop, Terrapin hallmarks which still form the bedrock of our activity. Collaborators in this period included Jindra Rosendorf, Noriko Nishimoto, Greg Methé, Philip Mitchell and Kirsty Grierson.

Annette Downs continued Terrapin’s tradition of school touring, but in a changed national environment: the Australia Council was keen to see more artistic innovation, development and risk taking. Undaunted, Annette led significant artistic development at Terrapin, including the company’s first international tours with Desires (Hungary) and Little Red (Korea and Taiwan). The company started exploring within and beyond puppetry, including object theatre, rod puppets, physical theatre and projection. Terrapin in the 1990s employed a broad array of artists and creatives from Tasmania and mainland Australia, establishing touring networks nationally. By the end of Annette’s tenure, Terrapin had a national reputation, multi-year state and federal funding and a high public profile in Tasmania.

In 1999, Jessica Wilson took over as artistic director. In addition to making work for children, Jessica also created productions for adult audiences, resulting in Frankenstein and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, and was a pioneer in incorporating projection into live performance. She cemented a national perception that Terrapin’s puppetry was sophisticated and complex. Working with Jessica during this period were artists such as Ben Sibson, Phil Lethlean and Colin Sneesby.

In 2004, Annie Forbes was appointed artistic director. Among other productions, Annie created The Storyteller’s Shadow: A Celebration of Hans Christian Andersen, which toured Tasmanian schools then went on to be presented in Denmark, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Artists involved with the company during this time included Sam Routledge, Richard Jeziorny and Laura Purcell.

Frank Newman was Terrapin’s artistic director from 2007 to 2012, when he introduced the concept of digital puppetry. Frank’s productions were seen at the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre Melbourne, in China, the USA, New Zealand and Ireland, and included a collaboration with the Children’s Art Theatre of China, When the Pictures Came. He directed the Helpmann Award-winning Boats, seen in over 400 performances across Australia, on two tours to the USA, and in China. Frank’s final production with Terrapin, Shadow Dreams, a collaboration with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, linked venues in two cities in interactive, simultaneous performance.

Sam Routledge has been the artistic director of Terrapin since November 2012, focusing increasingly on broadening the company’s repertoire in interactive and festival-ready work. He continues to work collaboratively and in partnership with other companies and has commissioned new works of puppetry from leading Australian playwrights including Nathan Maynard, Finegan Kruckemeyer and Finn O’Branagáin.