Story-telling through puppets

In most parts of the world, as far back as anyone can remember, there has been a puppet tradition. Although some of us think of puppets as children's entertainment, they were - and often still are - used to tell serious stories to adult audiences. Even in these days of sophisticated film animation and special effects, the puppet theatre still has a special place in many cultures and no doubt people will be able to see the traditional characters for many more years.

The best-known puppet characters in Britain are Punch and Judy, glove puppets with wooden heads. In the summer, one basic play of about half an hour is performed, with variations, on beaches all around Britain. Mr. Punch, who has an enormous nose and wears a curved hat, gets into trouble and has arguments with his wife, Judy. There is the baby, Toby the dog, a policeman, a crocodile, and a hangman, and all of them chase Mr Punch. He, of course, invariably manages to survive to fight another day.

In Belgium wooden puppets, or marionettes, first appeared in the 1820s in cities like Liege. The Liege puppets are in fact string puppets without strings! They have a single metal rod attached to their heads, which means the puppeteers aren't able to raise the arms and legs, but can move the body up and down and the head from side to side. Many of the stories used to be historical or religious but it is Tchantches, a comic character with patched trousers and a big black hat, who is the best-loved character today. Like Mr. Punch, he is a simple man who is also greedy, quarrelsome and lazy. He makes fun of everyone, but is often warm-hearted and tender.

In wayang kulit, the shadow puppet theatre of Java, two-dimensional leather puppets, operated from below by sticks, are moved around behind an illuminated cotton screen. This type of theatre can also be found in other parts of south-east and central Asia. The stories are usually based on Hindu epics, and a traditional performance can last all night. The characters in these stories are brought to life by the dalang, who is a very special kind of person. He sits in the same place all night, manipulating dozens of puppets on his own. He manages to tell a long and complex story without a script, while also controlling the orchestra.

9. Match the adjectives on the left with their meanings on the right:

1.overrated 2. hackneyed 3. impenetrable 4. disjointed 5. far-fetched 6. risqué 7. gripping 8. harrowing 9. moving 10.memorable 11.understated

a. done so often it is boring b. unconnected and not in a clear order c. exciting and keeping your attention the whole time d. not as good as people say e. impossible to believe f. making you feel strong emotion, especially pity or sadness g. you remember it long after h. done or expressed in a simple but attractive style i. complex and impossible to understand J. extremely upsetting k. slightly immoral and likely to shock some people

READING 3

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04