In what will be the biggest year in its history, Terrapin will stage six productions over six Australian states and territories, and tour to the USA, Ireland and New Zealand for the first time.

On the anniversary itself, Friday 22 April, Terrapin’s much-loved production of Boats will be staged in New York at the Long Island Children’s Museum, as part of an international tour that will stop in Wellington New Zealand, Dublin Ireland, and Cleveland and Seattle, as well as various venues around New York state.

Boats will also undertake a two-month tour across Australia, encompassing shows in Sydney and regional NSW, Brisbane and regional Queensland, regional Victoria, Darwin and outback Northern Territory, where it will be accompanied by an Indigenous translator, before heading back to Tasmania for a stay in Launceston.

The stunning collaboration with the Children’s Art Theatre of China, When the Pictures Came, which opened in Shanghai earlier this year, will have its premiere Australian season in March at the Australian Festival for Young People (Come Out) in Adelaide, before returning to Terrapin’s home town of Hobart for Ten Days on the Island.

The critically acclaimed Helena and the Journey of the Hello will be seen in Melbourne’s Arts Centre, while the inventive The Falling Room and the Flying Room will tour Victorian schools.

Two new productions will be staged in Tasmania. The Waltzing Tree will tour into primary schools in every corner of the state over eight week weeks in May/June, while Love will premiere in Hobart’s grand Theatre Royal in September before touring to Burnie.

“How exciting is it,” said Artistic Director Frank Newman “that Terrapin’s ground-breaking digital puppetry is now finding audiences all over Australia and the globe. It’s a great testament to all the artists that have helped us create these brilliant shows. We’re thrilled to represent Tasmania on the national and world stage, and we’re thrilled to bring three new shows to local audiences in 2011”.

General Manager Kevin O’Loghlin added

“When the late Jennifer Davidson founded Terrapin back in 1981, she would never have imagined one of its shows going on to appear on a New York stage 30 years to the day later. Now families across Australia, and increasingly overseas, are finding out about Tasmania’s premier theatre company”.

Terrapin Puppet Theatre, and the international tour of Boats, are supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; and Terrapin is further supported through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Arts. The Australian Government is also proud to be associated with the Australian national tour of Boats through the national performing arts touring program, Playing Australia, which gives Australians across the country the opportunity to see some of our best performing arts. The Tasmanian school tour of The Waltzing Tree is supported by Aurora Energy.