Thai Puppet Performance: New Idioms and Reinterpreting Traditions

Abstract

Puppet performance used to be among the most popular forms of entertainment in the central part of Thailand. However, with the introduction of new forms of entertainment and the changing Thai society, its popularity declined. There has been interest in traditional puppet theatre and new performance idioms in recent years. In this article, Jirayudh Sinthupahan discusses contemporary tradition-based practices of puppet theatre and the efforts of practitioners to preserve and develop the performance form.