Saturday, January 13, 2018


Rama and Sita.
 The Ramayana (Life of Rama), an ancient Hindu epic, is a tradition in Indonesian puppet theatre. I read that the epic is part of the culture throughout S E Asia.

It was a fun interlude when we performed this epic after Christmas dinner with adaptions from Henry Lawson and the Loaded Dog (monkey) and some action set in Kakadu - so it was a bit laid back and absurd yet gripping.

Never the less, this is a tale of combat between good and evil which I was uninformed about. It is a model for relationships and for behaviour, honour, loyality, and duty, of vows and taboos for a good society long before the rule of law.  The vast theme of journey towards a kingdom and of redemption is echoed in Christian thinking.

The Wayang golek are 60cm high puppets made of wood. They are among several types of puppets including shadow puppets which are one dimensional in leather where the outlines are pierced with holes and the arms are moveable.       


No comments: