Sofia, Aug 21, (BTA/GNA) – Assoc. Prof. Miroslav Tsvetanov has invented an entirely new system of traditional Vietnamese water puppets and the means for their control, the Slon (Elephant) Small Puppet Theatre said. The novel system of puppetry uses over 3-metre-long mechanisms that make the mystery of the puppets coming to life even more exciting.
Tsvetanov is an actor, pedagogue and author of a number of studies in the field of puppetry. He established European water puppetry in 2014, staging “The Bird of Eden” in Bulgaria. Slon Puppet Theatre has engaged in innovative shows ever since its inception in 1988.
Just recently, the theatre company met with the visiting National Puppet Theatre of Vietnam in Sofia. Impressed and inspired by the Bulgarian team’s innovative work, their Vietnamese peers extended an official invitation to present their work in Hanoi, the birthplace of the ancient art of water puppetry.
Water puppetry is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of Northern Vietnam. Today’s Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.
Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Puppeteers stand behind a split-bamboo screen, decorated to resemble a temple facade, and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg.
BTA/GNA