![]() ![]() The arched, thatched backdrop encompasses the puppets and centres their actions and movements. These stories would be light-hearted and have humour, which would lift the mood of the local villagers.Īs this venue is in the capital, the setting holds much more grandeur than the original performances form the Red River Delta. To alleviate the depression caused by lost harvests, the farmers would make puppets and tell stories while standing in the rice paddies. Heavy rainfall meant some villages in Vietnam were flooded, leaving the rice paddies overflowing with water. This is a cultural highlight that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world. ![]() It is an art form associated and known to Vietnam. Old stories and myths from the villages are played out to traditional music. ![]() The puppets come alive while their masters do the technical work behind the screen. Puppet masters skillfully orchestrate string puppets though a set designed rice water paddy. Traditional puppets now also have a new role as ambassadors of the environment or to give warnings about social evils like illegal motorbike racing.As the name states, this is a performance using puppets and water. Phan Thanh Liem never stops thinking of improvement and bringing new life experience to his theater. He named his creation “one-man water puppet show”. But, with Liem’s theater, he can sit on a bench to control the puppets. In the old days with big theaters, artists had to stand in a big pond with water up to their chests for hours long. His theater is smaller, movable for his shows at different places. He can control multiple puppets at a time. Artist Phan Thanh Liem, creator of the mobile theater and new puppet designs. It makes traditional theater next to impossible to be moved. The traditional theater can be as big as 10 meters wide with a lot of heavy decorations. So, in a play of 5 characters, 5 artists are essential to handle properly. But, one artist can only control one puppet at a time. Traditional puppets are made of fig wood and attached to a long stick so artists can control it. Mai Vi, the vice minister came and liked it a lot” The creator of the mobile theater and new puppet designs for what most of the guests watch Hanoi water puppet show nowadays! We took great effort to make the first show in a mobile theater and invited the Ministry of Culture to come. At that time things were not in good conditions like those nowadays. I then studied and created the mobile water theater. In 1982, I was sent here to work in this Nam Chan water puppet assembly. At first, I crafted puppets and trained actors.” – Artist Pham Thanh Liem said in one of his interview. ![]() After the Center Theater came and watched my shows, they asked me to come to the capital city to work for them. Old men in the assembly and in the village respected me to be young but could do both crafting puppets and performing. I was the youngest to learn at age of 10 and I could perform it when I was 14, 15. “In the old days in this village, there were about 40 people who could handle this art. He was also the first in Vietnam to form the very first private water puppet incorporation, “Sông Ngọc”, for doing shows nationwide. Plus, he is also the creator of “Chú Tễu” (the M.C) which now displays in the Louvre Museum in France. Also, that creation is now for use in all water puppet theaters. Indeed, he was the one who brought water puppets from the village’s ponds into theaters. Do not miss out on a unique entertainment genre in Vietnam – Hanoi water puppet show!įamous water puppet artist Phan Van Ngai, father of Phan Thanh Liem devoted his whole life to the Vietnamese water puppetry in general, Hanoi water puppet show in particular. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |