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Puppet theatre has appeared through the centuries in every
country in the Town and cities throughout Europe house puppet theatres for adults and children alike presenting classic fairy tales, blacklight theatre, plays and opera using marionettes, hand, rod and shadow puppets.
The building itself is child-friendly, built in 1871 as a
school house. The interior now has the elegance of a century-old theatre
adorned with red velvet curtains, hand-carved, bejeweled and gilded
decor. Theatre posters, photographs, and the puppet collection form the
backdrop for the comedy, music, and magic of the show itself. The theatre has always been a form of magic. The actors on the stage reach out to their audience to communicate ideas, feelings and thoughts. Music and lighting transports an audience to a world of fantasy. That world of fantasy is magnified on the puppet stage, as the inanimate object comes to life through the puppet. The 21st century is a new world, a world of high technology and cyberspace. But have we as people changed as much as the world around us has? And how does the age-old art of puppetry fare in today’s world? The answer is found in the laughter and happy faces of the children at the puppet theatre. |
world beginning in China in 311 BC. Puppet theatre as we know it today
is most influenced by the Comedia del Arte in Italy and the Punch and
Judy show in England. Beginning as a form of adult entertainment, its
comic content now delights children and adults alike. An art form like
no other, as a cultural enrichment program for children it excels,
combining the visual arts and the performing arts, giving them a chance
to explore the history and cultures of the world as well.
