Water puppet theater
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The water puppet theater (Múa Rối Nước) is only available in Vietnam . Its origins are unclear, but it was likely an integral part of the country's cultural life as early as the 11th century. This art form was kept top secret and only passed on from the old to the young within a family. It was almost extinct by the 1980s when a French organization brought that tradition back to life with new puppets and a new stage. The ensembles have already made successful guest appearances abroad on several occasions, and the performances can be seen in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .
The audience is greeted musically by a small orchestra (including a monochord , Vietnamese: Đàn bầu ) that accompanies the entire performance. In addition, the orchestra members lend the puppets their voices. The orchestra usually sits next to the stage, which consists of a pool of water. Originally this water basin was the village pond or a lake. In the basin, behind a curtain made of woven bamboo, stand the actors who handle the water puppets mounted on 3 to 4 m long poles. The bars are below, the pupae above the surface of the water. The 30 cm to 1 m tall and 1 to 5 kg heavy figures are carved from the soft and light wood of the common fig tree. They are waterproof coated with resins and varnishes, which should also help against woodworms. The moving limbs or other moving components are controlled by cables.
Scenes from rural life are often depicted, such as fishing, a flute player on a buffalo or a smoking farmer. There are also mystical dances of lions and fire-breathing dragons as well as the four sacred animals: phoenix , kỳ lân (Qilin, the Chinese unicorn), long (the Chinese dragon) and turtle. A popular motif is also the legend of the returned sword, in which King Le Loi , who drove the Chinese from Vietnam in the 15th century, removed the sword that the gods had given him from a golden sword during a boat trip on Lake Hoan Kiem Turtle is snatched away to bring it back to the gods.
In the Thăng Long Water Puppet Theater in Hanoi, tickets cost đ 100,000 to 200,000 (approx. € 3.80 to € 7.60 ) as of 06.2019. Free programs in various languages are available in front of the screening room. Announcements are also made in English and French, in addition to Vietnamese.
literature
- Nguyen Huy Hong: The Art of Water Puppet Theater by Thai Binh / Aus d. Vietnam. by Susanne Borchers. 1st edition Leipzig: Central House Publication, 1985. 55 pp.
