Berlin

A night at the opera (strings attached)

image credit: www.puppentheater-firlefanz.de. Bastien and Bastienne.

The acting may seem a tiny bit wooden, but that, for once, is part of the appeal. It's opera as you've (probably) never seen it before, with beautifully crafted puppets energetically interpreting some of the world's most famous arias.

Berlin's acclaimed Firlefanz Puppentheater offers colourful performances of three Mozart favourites: the one-act comedy 'Bastien and Bastienne', 'The Abduction from the Seraglio' and quintessential classic 'The Magic Flute'.

It's all part of a rich, long-standing tradition of marionette theatre throughout Germany, and with plenty of productions aimed at adult audiences, there's no need to feel self-conscious as you book tickets for a very different night at the opera.

image credit: image credit: www.puppentheater-firlefanz.de. The Abduction from the Seraglio.

But what about options for kids themselves?

Although Berlin boasts dozens of puppet theatres offering child-friendly fare, performances in English are, sadly, very rare indeed.

image credit: kubus-berlin.de

So perhaps the best way for non-German-speaking nippers to experience the magic of marionettes is at Neukölln's Puppet Theatre Museum (above), where a vast collection of beautiful, handmade figures represents 150 years of puppeting history. Pinocchio would be proud.

See also:
Free concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie
The best of Berlin's theatre - in translation
A cuddly toy soap opera

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