Grand opera on a small scale: a unique cultural experience

Salzburg and its Festival have been inseparable for over 100 years – but there is another long-established cultural institution that forms an integral part of the town: the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, founded by Anton Aicher in 1913. In the theatre in the Schwarzstrasse 24, next to the Landestheater, small actors present great art: operas including The Magic Flute and Fidelio, the play with music A Midsummer Night's Dream and their own version of The Sound of Music. 

Salzburg Marionette Theatre: one of the last of its kind

The ensemble consists of some 600 wooden marionettes and their ten puppeteers, managed by artistic director Philippe Brunner. The puppeteers have to master the "Salzburg cross": the T-shaped operating cross with a triangle and a stick for the hands demands incredible dexterity, but it enables the extremely lifelike movements that make the marionettes seem so human, creating a perfect illusion.
 
It takes between six and eight years to master all the figures. "In the whole world, there are only a few professional puppeteers left," says Brunner. "It's an art that seems to have gone out of date. But for years we've felt the general desire for analogue technology." – And for more time, which plays a major role in the proscenium stage; this is the only way to achieve the illusion that brings the marionettes alive. "The audience is an important participant in our performances," says Brunner. "The marionettes are a projection screen, like in a silent film. We puppeteers express feelings, and the audience projects these on to the marionettes. This is what brings the marionettes to life."

In-house workshop for the hand-made marionettes

Of course, it is the elaborate craftsmanship that makes the marionettes so unique and lifelike; every figure is carved, assembled and clothed in our own workshops. First of all, the concept goes to costume designers, who create the figures in collaboration with the stage directors, who have to consider who the characters are. "Unlike live theatre, the figures can't be developed in the course of rehearsals," says Brunner. 
 
Once the artistic design of the figure has been decided, two colleagues in the theatre workshop shape the body. One of them is Vladimir Fediakov: "The most expressive feature of the marionette is the head. If I'm quick, I'll spend three days on it – but it can also take months if I have to make corrections or start all over again." His colleague Edouard Funck, who makes costumes, adds: "We also give a figure its personality through the cut and the colour of its costumes. And we set great store by the tiniest detail of the costume." 
 
After more than eighteen months of preparation for the performance, says Philippe Brunner, they are ready to amaze the audience: "Many people are surprised that adults can also be drawn into such a world of fantasy – but that's a basic human need."

Salzburg's Toihaus Theatre: culture also for the very young

Of course, children are also fascinated by the little actors in the Marionette Theatre. There is another special cultural venue for them: the Toihaus Theatre in the Franz Josef Strasse 4. Only a few paces from the Mirabell Garden, this theatre for music, dance, language and fine arts offers exciting scope for contemporary productions. It is a place for an audience that is open to experiment and new forms of expression – and this generally applies to children. The Toihaus attracts even the youngest children, from one year old: it stages the biennial BimBam Festival, with performances by their own ensemble as well as guest performances from Austria and abroad; besides performances for adults, there are also at least three plays for children in each season, where instruments become actors, all the senses come into play, and magical scenes enchant young and old – one is never too old for such spellbinding moments. We invite you to discover this special side of Salzburg's culture.