Vietnamese Water Puppet Theatre: Mua Roi Nuoc

Mua Roi Nuoc - Vietnam's Water Puppet Theatre

• Mua roi nuoc is a traditional form of puppet theatre in Vietnam, specifically in the north, which has been revived since the 1980s.
• Performances are held in small villages near Hanoi, typically at village ponds, with puppeteers manipulating 30- to 40-centimetre-high puppets while standing in water.
• The performances are arranged in a temporary structure above the water, with a bamboo curtain shielding the puppeteers from the audience.

Puppeteers and Puppets

• Puppeteers are originally ordinary villagers who manipulate the puppets with rods hidden under the water.
• The puppets, made of wood and lacquered, have complicated mechanisms to move their limbs and even make a puppet smoke a cigarette.

Performance Structure

• A performance typically begins with a dance of the dragons and a show of fireworks, followed by Teu, the stock clown.
• The performance features standard scenes, including those of Vietnamese history, classics, and domestic affairs.
• Animal scenes, everyday activities, and dramatic scenes of Vietnamese history are also enacted.

Origins and Revival

• Experts believe that water puppetry originated in Vietnam in the 11th century, and was adopted by China.
• The tradition was documented and propagated by Western countries and cultural institutes in the 1970s.
• Today, commercial performances are staged daily in several theatres in Hanoi and Saigon, using a traditional North Vietnamese orchestra with singers.

Global Reach

• Water puppet troupes regularly tour abroad, making this unique art form known around the world.