Music, firecrackers and smoke bring these dramas to life on a shimmering stage of water. Once performed on a village pond they now travel the world.

Water provides the magic and hides the mechanism of the puppet. In Vietnam today schools teach this art, once jealously guarded and passed down only from father to son.

Teu, as master of ceremonies, sits on the buffalo. He introduces many colourful characters, each one will perform their own story - from the mythical and legendary to the ordinary and everyday.

Find out more

- Vietnamese waterpuppets in Brighton Museum's collection
- Find out more about Vietnamese waterpuppets

How are the waterpuppets displayed in Performance Gallery?

	Waterpuppets displayed in Performance Gallery

Grouped as fisherfolk, agricultural workers and mythical creatures, the puppets are displayed on a dark glass surface, giving the impression of the water surface they would have performed on. On the backdrop, a graphic silhouette of the puppeteer - waist deep in water, he manipulates one of the puppets at the end of a long rod. A video of a BBC documentary about Vietnamese waterpuppets provides constant sound and magic of the performance.