Tuesday 6 May 2014

Not only marionettes 2

Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster and prankster who's stories make great marionette shows. Set in the middle ages, they frequently have a timeless quality. These tricksters are still around today they only work on the internet these days. A few of his stories are part of the repertoire of Strings Attached.
To make the show a bit more exciting and different I created a large version of Eulenspiegel. The life size carved head and huge hands are connected by a large patchwork piece of material mirroring the costume of the original marionette. This figure enters in the beginning of the show, interacting with the audience on close quarters, having a chat with them and introducing the character. 

The operation of the mouth is on a simple lever action through the revolver handle as you can see in the photo underneath. The hands are operated with a wooden lower arm extending from the hand.

It is very powerful theatre to have this pre show appearance of the character. The reaction of the audience always ranged from shock and amazement to initial surprise.
Hope you have a chance to experience one day.

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