Salzburg's little stars of the stage – a visit to the Marionette Theatre

When you go through the glass double-leaf door of the Marionette Theatre, you're in a different world. Here, little wooden figures, brought to life by strings, perform on the big stage. This special theatre breathes history: founded by Anton Aicher in 1913, it still presents a consummate combination of handcraft, art and music. The puppets are hand-crafted masterpieces, each one unique. "Our aim has always been to show the figures as little people", says Philippe Brunner. We sit at a table in the brightly-lit workshop; drawings of various marionettes hang on the wall behind. When Philippe Brunner talks about the puppets and the theatre, his eyes light up, and the enthusiasm that still drives him after decades in the profession is palpable throughout our conversation.

A childhood dream becomes a vocation

Brunner's fascination with the Marionette Theatre began early. As a child, he was spellbound by the performance of the little figures. "My father was a violinist in the Berlin Philharmonic, and we were regular visitors here in Salzburg when he was performing at the Easter Festival", he remembers. "The very first time I entered this theatre, I was immediately captivated.“ He and a school friend then made their own marionettes using simple materials, and staged little performances. Later, inspired by the Salzburg marionettes, Philippe Brunner founded the Junge Marionettenoper Berlin. "It all began as a children's game, but the fascination has never left me", he says.

After university, he worked first in the international music scene, organised festivals, and was production manager at ECM Records in Munich. But puppetry was never far from his mind. "It was more than just a hobby", he says. The combination of his musical expertise and his love for puppetry shaped his career. Finally, in 2003 his professional career took him to Salzburg: Gretl Aicher, the grande dame of Austrian puppetry and then director of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, made him an exciting job offer. Philippe Brunner has now helped to shape the Marionette Theatre for more than two decades.

Like delicate clockwork

Philippe Brunner 's task as artistic director covers many different fields, in addition to his work as a puppeteer, with some 160 performances annually in Salzburg and on tour. "Amongst other things, I'm responsible for planning new productions, and I choose stage directors, set and costume designers. I also supervise the entire development of a production – which often takes between one and a half and two years. Music selection and editing is also part of my job, and so is tour planning, which is extremely time-consuming and takes a lot of organisation." This kind of theatre, he says, functions like a delicate clockwork: everything has to interlock perfectly.

The skill behind the magic

The Marionette Theatre is deeply rooted in Salzburg's cultural identity. Even before the famous Salzburg Festival was founded, this theatre was an integral component of the local cultural scene. But tradition does not mean stagnation. "We want to demonstrate that our repertoire is growing", explains Brunner. The programme includes not only classical operas such as Mozart's Magic Flute, but also works like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet or The Sound of Music. Brunner sees the boundaries as fluid: "I have no problem with other genres." His love of the detail and precision involved in puppetry has not changed over the decades. "Manipulating the figures requires enormous patience and skill", he points out. It takes years to master the art of manipulating the puppets so that each movement looks fluent and organic. The team is particularly proud of the special technique they have developed for endowing the figures with almost human expressive power. This is precisely what creates the magic of the art – the marionettes move so naturally that we almost forget they are worked by strings.

One stage, two worlds

The Salzburg Marionette Theatre moves with the times. For instance, the team collaborates closely with external stage directors in order to provide fresh stimulus. "It's important to think outside the box", says Brunner. The production of Beethoven's Fidelio was particularly challenging. "The content of the work is difficult, but the way our stage director worked on the figures in order to interpret the text was brilliant", he enthuses. A major challenge lies in maintaining the analogue charm of the marionettes while introducing modern techniques, without losing the spirit of the performance. "We feel that many parents bring their children here to get them away from screens and mobile phones", he says. "The Marionette Theatre is an experience for the heart."

The role of the Marionette Theatre in Salzburg's cultural scene

Co-operations, including with the Mozarteum and the Landestheater, have contributed to establishing the reputation of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre far beyond the boundaries of Austria. The Theatre has also become known through its many tours, which have taken the team to the ends of the earth. "Of course, we profit greatly from Salzburg's reputation as a town of music", says Brunner. But it is not only its international renown that keeps the Theatre alive. It is people's love of this special art form that lasts over generations. The Marionette Theatre is more than just a place for nostalgia – it is living culture.

A look into the future

Even though the art of the marionettes is counted as intangible cultural heritage, protected by UNESCO, maintaining this art form is a challenge. Training new puppeteers is time consuming and requires patience – on both sides. "It takes six to eight years before you've really mastered manipulation", Brunner explains. Every puppeteer is also employed in the workshop; all the figures are made in house. Mastering these various skills takes talent, perseverance and readiness to learn. Brunner is optimistic, however: "We have a fantastic team, and we will fight to maintain this art form in Central Europe." Brunner sees the Theatre's future in a cautious transformation. The choice of works, the inclusion of new technologies – all that has to be done with great sensitivity, without losing the traditional core. "Our theatre will always remain an analogue fixture in an increasingly digital world", he says. That is exactly what attracts people: the feeling of experiencing something tangible and at the same time magical.

A magical place

For Philippe Brunner, a native of Berlin, the town of Salzburg is more than simply a place of work – it has become his second home. "It's a privilege to live and work here", he smiles. The town never ceases to inspire him, with its rich history and incomparable beauty. But there is still something of the city-dweller in him: "I like the wider focus in a big city, the feeling of moving around on a completely different terrain." This balance of Salzburg's calm and the impressions of the world he also gathers on tours is essential for his creative work. He draws special inspiration from the Hellbrunn trick fountains with the mechanical theatre – a place that reflects his playful character. "And I'm perhaps even fonder of the Stone Theatre", he adds. Both places evoke daydreams, combining art and fantasy in a way all their own. They are magical places – just like the Salzburg Marionette Theatre.