‘True artistry’: Austria puppets charm with age-old craft

The puppets and their startlingly lifelike movements take years to master, which is why Salzburg Marionette Theatre’s work has Unesco World Heritage status

Most puppets have at least 11 strings, so the puppeteer can make them ‘kiss each other, hug each other, hit each other, (or) whatever we want’

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Puppeteers rehearse prior the Snow White fairytale puppet show at the Unesco-recognised Salzburg Marionette Theatre in Salzburg, Austria, in February 2023. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:57pm, 12 Mar 2023

It takes as long to train to be a puppeteer at the world-famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre as it does to become a doctor.

The puppets and their startlingly lifelike movements take years to master, which is why the Austrian theatre’s work has Unesco World Heritage status.

“It’s like playing an instrument. You can’t think about which string to pull during the show,” said Edouard Funck, a puppeteer and costume designer.

Puppeteer Edouard Funck is seen with faceless puppets prior to the Snow White fairy tale puppet show at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre in Salzburg, Austria, in February 2023. Photo: AFP

Most puppets have at least 11 strings, so the puppeteer can make them “kiss each other, hug each other, hit each other, (or) whatever we want”.

Some complicated puppets have dozens of strings, requiring up to five people to operate them, said the 34-year-old French-born performer.

Their movements are so subtle that audiences sometimes believe a puppet has “moved her lips”, said Funck, when it’s just “the illusion that is created on stage”.

The theatre’s founder, Austrian sculptor Anton Aicher, invented a special control bar to manipulate the puppets a century ago.