Vietnamese Water Puppetry Info
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HISTORY
* Tradition dates to 11th C
* Originated –villages in Red river Delta
* Highly developed in Vietnam
* Rural people believed that spirits controlled everything
* Used to satisfy these spirits
* Form of Entertainment
* The used a “natural medium” to appease the spirits
* The water that flooded the rice paddies acted as a stage
* Unique to north Vietnam and only recently recognized throughout the world
* referred to as “Mua Roi Nuoc” meaning “puppets that dance on water”
* worked in freezing cold temperatures
* leech infested waters
STAGE
* Pool of water 4m square
* 3 places where the plays would take place
* Traditional rice paddies /staging area
* Portable tanks
* Specialized pool constructed
* 8 puppeteers stand behind a split bamboo screen
* Screen looks like a temple
* Using bamboo rods and strings to control puppets
* Puppets are carved out of wood and weigh up to 15kg
* Traditional Vietnamese orchestra plays for accompaniment
* Vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, gongs, bamboo flutes
* Bamboo flutes used to announce royalty
* Cymbal and drums used to announce a dragon
* Singers of Cheo (opera) sometimes sing about what’s happening
* Acted as almost a narrator
* Enter from either side of the stage and emerge through the water
* Spotlights and flags make a festive atmosphere
Content
* Refrence to Vietnamese folklore
* Day to day life of reural Vietnamese people
* Stories of the harvest
* Stories of fishing
* Stories of festivals
* Legends and national history
* Often have a humours twist
* Countries history
* 18 short scenes
http://www.vietvaluetravel.com/Travel_Guide_Vietnamese_water_puppets/154
* Mua Roi Nuoc Hoan Kiem Lake.
* Teu famous character – introduces shows with a huge smile...