For over 100 years, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre has been bringing “great theatre” of opera literature to the stage – also with new productions

In 1913, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre started its success story with the performance of Mozart’s Singspiel “Bastien und Bastienne”. Since the 1950s, tours have taken it around the globe. Renowned directors were engaged and the repertoire of Mozart operas was expanded. There were co-productions with the Salzburg Festival, the Mozart Week and the Salzburg Landestheater.

Shakespeare for a younger audience

“In recent years, we have developed the repertoire. And with it, the audience has also changed,” says theatre director Dr Barbara Heuberger. Plays like “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry or “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare appeal to a younger audience. And the story of the Trapp family (“Sound of Music”) is also on the playbill.

A tour of the theatre in front of and behind the stage immerses you in a cosmos of your own. Historical theatre posters from all over the world document the living theatre tradition. And the collection with its many marionettes in a wide variety of costumes makes the heart of every costume designer beat faster. That’s why there are guided tours of the theatre, including the trove and the backstage, where you can also watch the artists at work.

From 13 May to 16 September 2020, on Wednesdays at 2.30 pm, the Puppet Theatre offers “Fascination Artistry”, a short revue through its programme – a show from Mozart’s “Magic Flute” to “The Sound of Music”.

Salzburger Marionettentheater, Schwarzstraße 24 www.marionetten.at