Teochew Puppet & Opera House

The fading artform of Teochew Puppet Opera - SilverKris

"Opened five years ago inside a renovated George Town shophouse by Ling Goh, a fourth-generation puppeteer, this small theatre and troupe stage traditional Teochew rod-puppet performances several times a month to help preserve an artform estimated at 1,000 years old that survives in Malaysia mainly in Penang. Shows involve about nine performers (puppeteers, singers and musicians) and rotate among more than 50 plays featuring recurring characters such as noblemen, monks, scholars, warriors and acrobats; the company intentionally selects plays that will engage younger audiences to encourage future interest. The handcrafted puppets—made of wood and clay and taking roughly two weeks each to produce—are manipulated with metal rods rather than strings, allowing greater precision of movement. Led by Ling Goh, who began performing at eight and inherited the troupe her mother founded in 1989, the venue frames its work as a cultural mission to protect and transmit Teochew puppetry." - Ronan O' Connell