The Tasmanian tour of Helena and the Journey of the Hello commences at the end of September. Helena is a kid’s picture book tale in a crossed line conversation with contemporary times. The old world charm of the illustrated story is given a theatrical twist as unexpected parts of the set and costumes open like pages in a book. Children and adults are amazed at what is possible with a mobile phone, a coat and an old iron bed as they are taken on the Journey of the Hello.

The audience sits inside the fantasy world of Helena Bugosi. What a world this is! Helena’s mum is always on the phone, because she lives in it. Helena’s father went into the forest and befriended the foxes, leaving Helena to sing songs by the side of the road.

Terrapin’s naughty new show is narrated by three mischievous animals that could be straight out of the midsummer night forest. They croon and wail in a waltz–playing band, they fumble with puppets and fiddle with phones, weaving the audience through a thicket of stories about Helena and her mother who lives in a phone!

The show is for the whole family (recommended for five years and older) and will be playing in towns in all corners of Tasmania through September and October.

Terrapin’s newest show, The Falling Room and the Flying Room, written by Finegan Kruckemeyer and directed by Frank Newman, ends its tour of Tasmanian schools in early August. The show is about the power of imagination and the mythology of a family. Using contemporary multimedia, digital puppetry and powerful performances to create magic, the show tells the story of a boy whose imaginary world of mechanical wizardry helps bring his family back together. After premiering at the Theatre Royal Hobart, the show has been seen by over 8,500 children in 45 schools across the state.

In August, director Frank Newman will travel to Shanghai to conduct further workshops and undertake further pre-production development of When the Pictures Came, a collaboration with the Children’s Art Theatre of China. The show will premiere in Shanghai in May 2010.