A Playhouse for Puppetry

Puppet (Noun): a moveable model of a person or animal that is typically moved either by strings controlled from above or by a hand inside it; a person, group, or country under the control of another; a person manipulated by another.

Puppets are typically perceived as purely for children’s entertainment. However, beyond the physical puppet, there are boundaries and deeper meanings to these object that move by strings and sticks. Puppets can be a tool of representation. They can be a reflection of us as individuals or a society, and as the creator of the puppet brings it to life, it can mimic and tell a story that humanly relates to us. The evolution of puppets comes from the joy of entertainment but also in the way in which we as humans can understand something that moves like we do.

Puppetry can be a means to dissect socially and culturally significant ideas and issues in an accessible way for people of all ages. The movement and tectonics of a puppet allow for discourse and the chance of reenactment which embodies something deeper. I believe there is potential for puppetry to explore political commentary in Marseille, which is a city divided in half by its varying political perspectives. The climaxes and the lulls of theatrical performance metaphorically mirrors that of Marseille’s unstable political history. Political unrest and distrust is apparent both in the culture of the city, but most visible in the disproportionate urban development.

There is a prominent disregard of the North of the city, with certain neighbourhoods feeling heavily neglected; such as through lack of transport and infrastructure. These decisions, or lack there of, from the people in positions of power have their social implications. There is a feeling of attempted state control and surveillance within these areas, with high police presence on the streets, which overtly impacts the community.

In my research I have discovered the importance of performance and theatrical space, in order for them to thrive and gather. It is essential for people to be able to share culturally significant moments in a space that allows for these performances to be displayed. Including this within their neighbourhood could offer the freedom of expression, activism and unification of all intersections of the society.