MARIONETTE SHOW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 29, 16 May 1947, Page 5

MARIONETTE SHOW

TO VISIT WHAKATANE NOVEL ATTRACTION Details will be advertised shortly concerning the visit to Whakatane of the Goodwin Marionette Theatre ./hich has been arranged by the Community Arts Service. Readers are advised to book early for these shows so as not to miss the opportunity of seeing a really first class entertainment. History of Puppets The very novelty of the puppet show has its attraction for a New Zealand audience, but the history of these little shows goes back a long way. The Greeks and Romans knew them. They were the major entertainment of mediaeval days in Italy. From Italy the art was taken to France by a man named Marion, whence came the name of Marionette shows. They gained wide popularity in Elizabethan England, but today are mainly remembered by the performers at every seaside of the Punch and Judy shows.

One of Many

One of the many compliments the theatre has received reads as follows:

“I like the puppets because they are real” (wrote a ten year old). This is perhaps the best compliment Auckland’s marionette theatre has had. It is not an isolated statement, but the reaction of school children in both Auckland and Wellington who sit entranced at the acting of exquisite dolls. ' The colourful costumes, the music, the fantasy of story, song and dance appeal to all young imaginations. “You can even see the shadows,” was one awed comment from a hitherto convinced movie fan.

Children’s Matinee

With the approval of the Auckland Education Board, matinees will be held for the children of the Whakatane District High School and the country schools. To fit in with the electric power restrictions these matinees will be held at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27. Country schools attending are requested to be seated in the theatre by 9.50 a.m. so that the" performance may commence at 10 sharp.