Museu da Marioneta

The great Portuguese tradition of puppet theatre has an essentially popular character; Knowledge was transmitted orally from father to son throughout generations, its past was forgotten and ignored by most historians of theatrical arts.
The study of the Portuguese puppet wouldn’t have been possible without Henrique Delgado’s precious work. His studies were made known in several national and international publications, being a major reference for the knowledge of the Portuguese puppet.
Through his investigation, we discover the activity of the popular puppeteers, their importance, decadence and their further (almost) disappearance. Along with Michael Giacometti (1929-1990), they “discovered” the now-a-days very well known Bonecos de Santo Aleixo.
When we think of popular puppeteers, the romantic image of the typical puppet booth in beaches or gardens invades our mind, but the Portuguese popular reality was richer: true theatre businessman crossed the country from north to south, from one fair to another, with their traveling pavilions where they presented string and glove puppets’ shows.
As far as these pavilions are concerned, we must mention the Portuguese fairs, which composed a true world of entertainment: “There was little horses’ circuses, theatres, puppets, cosmoramas, varied games, wax and phenomenon exhibitions, etc.”
Those itinerant pavilions were active in Portugal until the sixties of the 20th century, owning private orchestras, stages with double use for animation of hand and string puppets, repertoires full of miracles of medieval tradition and with a wide use of the “reed”.
The life of itinerant puppeteers was never easy: either controlled by the church, or by the state, they always were victims of a fierce censorship that dared to silence the puppets’ voice, symbol of irreverence and counter-power.
Names like Faustino Duarte, Joaquim Pinto, Henrique Duarte and Manuel Rosado are unavoidable in the panorama of Portuguese popular puppeteers.
Speaking of António Dias is thinking about Dom Roberto. An itinerant puppeteer, he traveled across the country with his small puppet tent, called Dom Roberto Theatre. He initiated his activity at the age of 17, passed by some Lisbon theatres and cooperated in the organization of the Theatre of Mestre Gil and Augusto de Santa Rita; his life also served as inspiration for the movie “Dom Roberto”, of Ernesto de Sousa.
From an interview to António Dias, we acknowledged the limitations imposed on his activity by the ancient regime: “I bear the Authorization no. 511, issued by the Delegation of Performing Arts Inspection, which authorizes me to perform itinerant puppet entertainment… on the street, without charging tickets”
The last of the puppeteers belonging to a long tradition of itinerant performers, was the source of great inspiration to younger generations, to whom he passed his legacy, so that the life of his puppets would not die with him in 1986
It is in the 20th century that puppets in Portugal gain artistic and literary consistency, leading to the emergence of the first theatres connected to the idea of education by art such as those of Augusto Santa Rita, Henrique Delgado e Henrique Trindade.
The first artistic project for the creation of a puppet theatre will have been Mestre Gil’s Theatre, created by Augusto de Santa Rita (1888-1956), a poet.
The Puppet Museum collection incorporates part of this rare testimony, which is represented by a considerable estate of hand puppets from Mestre Gil’s Theatre, directed by Augusto de Santa Rita. The collection also includes some items from the Branca-Flor Theatre, directed by Lília da Fonseca, as well as some plays by Lena Perestrelo.
The activity of Lena Perestrelo as puppet creator started in 1956, when she formed most of the company of the Bonifrates Theatre. A small orchestra with leading figures of the National Symphony Orchestra was part of the performances of the Bonifrates Theatre. Its repertoire included “The Act of the Apothecary” and the “Old Furunvelha” by Luís de Oliveira Guimarães and Silva Bastos; “The Act of Agapito”, by Betty Corrêa; “The Girl with the Golden Hair” and “Rosa Linda and the Giant of the Mountain”, by Aida Oliveira Trigo. The manipulators team was totally formed by university students, who only moved the puppets, since the voices were recorded. They performed at “Caldas da Rainha, Luso, Nazaré, Praia das Maçãs, Costa da Caparica and Lisbon (at the National Theatre)”, according to words of Lena Perestrelo herself. Its puppets also participated in children’s television shows.
Her sister, Maria Emília Perestrelo, a chemical engineer born in 1920, began creating puppets when she retired.
Having started this activity “has a hobby” – according to her own words – she created, almost solely with cloth, needle and scissors, a marvellous group of caricatures based upon well known artists and politics and of other characters that throughout the 80’s entertained several TV shows for children at RTP, with texts by Maria Alberta Menéres and Natércia Rocha.
She also worked with other puppeteers, as Lilia da Fonseca, for whom she created some puppets. Her work was on display in various exhibitions.
After the Portuguese revolution of the 25th of April 1974, Portugal lived a period of artistic renaissance, and puppets were involved in this same process. In a set of initiatives stands out the project of Companhia de São Lourenço founded by José Alberto Gil, musician, with Fernando Serafim, tenor and Helena Vaz, puppeteer and plastic artist.
The group has initiated its activity in May 1973, with the name Companhia de Ópera Buffa, aiming to study and recreate the spirit and characteristics of 18th century comical opera to singers and puppets, a theatrical genre that found its peak with António José da Silva “The Jew”.
The Companhia de Marionetas de S. Lourenço e o Diabo – Teatro de Ópera, name chosen in 1974, has developed an important activity in puppet theatre, adopting several self-creation methods of manipulation and staging, and developed a vast activity inside and outside Portugal, participating in several festivals.