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Our philosophy
„More realistic than a live opera” this entry in our visitors’ book sums up the philosophy of Lindau’s puppet theatre. When the audience forget that they are “only” viewing puppets then we have reached our goal. And only when you believe that you can hear the puppets breathing, see joy or sadness in their faces, discover success or pain, then the puppets movements are flawless. Perfect mimicking of human movements is the key element of the puppet theatre.
The birth of each movement lies in the music. Not one intonation is coincidental. The same can be said for each movement. When a figure takes a step, sits down or stands up, it is inspired by the musical score. However, it is not possible to transfer and reproduce the exact original ideas which the composer had in his mind. Nevertheless, one can only presume that the major works in the musical composition don’t just respond to detailed feelings or evocation of the music, but most likely took a detailed analysis of how the music could be transferred into a scene. Pictures and music are Inseparable and are connected together to form a unit. An Opera is always artificial, it isn’t just a spectacle accompanied by verse and that’s why the whole active movements in a puppet theatre are chorographically abstract. That is why every movement conveys its meaning.
Because a puppet doesn’t have any facial mimics, all forms of expression need to be turned into movement. Whether a posture is humble or sad, the head movement is with millimetre precision. Because a puppet doesn’t have to sing, it has a greater freedom of movement than that of an opera singer preforming on a large stage. Hence, a choreographer who works together with puppets has the opportunity to dig deeper into the musical score than that of a "grand" opera. This freedom is obligatory for the puppet opera. Passion, costumes, stage settings, and scenery have all been inspired by the historical examples of each opera. Careful study of each historic musical era is always an exciting process for Lindau’s puppet theatre. That’s why no post moderns have been worked on in historical material.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our guests a wonderful time in our performances.
Our history
Lindau’s puppet theatre was founded in the year 2000 by Bernhard Leismüller. Bernhard Leisüller has made over 450 puppets. Approximately 150.000 people have visited this magnificent theatre. The ensemble has, meanwhile, got 10 puppet players. In total, more than 20 people work for the puppet theatre. There is even a friends’ association with over 200 members.
Initially, Lindau’s puppet theatre performed in temporary rooms. Now they are proud owners of their own stage within the walls of the town’s theatre. Since 2010 they have a mobile stage and the possibility to perform out of house. The number of visitors has increased steadily over the years. In early years the puppet performers sometimes played in front of an audience with fewer than 10 people. Today the puppet theatre is filled to a capacity 96%, with a potential for rising numbers. At the beginning, the audience was mainly made up of locals but nowadays people travel from over 100 Km to see a show.