The Victorian Marionette Theatre, Exhibition and Demonstration

by John Mc Cormick

Marionettes (jointed figures operated from above) were 
a very popular form of entertainment in the nineteenth 
century. Perceived as miniature actors, they often 
performed the same repertoire as the live theatre. Like 
other European marionettes the usual mode of operation 
was by means of a stout rod inserted into the head, 
but by the 1850s performers in Britain and Ireland had 
disposed of this in favour of a figure operated entirely by 
strings, and this technical change opened the way for an 
extended repertoire of trick or speciality acts. The talk 
will be illustrated by a number of these acts

Level 1, Studio | 3.30-4.30pm
Walk up, no booking required. All welcome