The ancient art of water puppetry was virtually unknown outside of northern Vietnam until the 1960s. Depending on which story you believe, it originated with rice farmers who worked the flooded fields and either saw the potential of the water as a dynamic stage or adapted conventional puppetry during a massive flood of the Red River Delta. Whatever the true history, it is at least 1000 years old.
- The farmer carved the puppets from water-resistant fid-tree timber in forms modeled on the villagers themselves, animals from their daily lives and more fanciful mythical creatures such as the dragon, phoenix and unicorn. Performances were usually staged in ponds, lakes or flooded paddy field.
Contemporary performances use a square tank of waist-deep water for the ‘stage’, the water is murky to conceal the mechanisms that operate the puppets. The wooden puppets can be up to 50cm long and weigh as much as 15kg; they’re painted with a glossy vegetable-based paint. Each lasts ony about three to four months if used continually, so puppet production provides several villages outside Hanoi with a full-time industry.
Eleven puppeteers, trained for a minimum of three years, are involved in each performance. They stand in the water behind a bamboo screen and have traditionally suffered from a host of water-borne diseases – these days they wear waders to avoid this nasty occupational hazard.
- Some puppets are simply attached to a long pole, while others are set on a floating base, in turn attached to a pole. Most have articulated limbs and head, some also have rudders to help guide them. In the darkened auditorium it looks as if they are literally walking on water.
The considerable skills required to operate the puppets were traditionally kept secret and passed only from father to son, never to daughter through fear that they would marry outside the village and take the secrets with them.
- The music, which is provided by a band, is as important as the action on stage. The band includes wooden flutes, gongs, cylindrical drums, bamboo xylophones and the fascinating single-stringed.
The performance consists of a number of vignettes depicting pastoral scenes and legends. One memorable scene tells of the battle between a fisherman and his prey, which is so electric it appears as if a live fish is being used. There are also fire-breathing dragons (complete with fireworks) and a flute playing boy riding a buffalo.
- The performance is a lot of fun. The water puppets are both amusing and graceful, and the water greatly enhances the drama by allowing the puppets to appear and disappear as if by magic. Spectators in the front row seats can expect a bit of a splash.