Titten Tei

The marionette Titten Tei was a young boy figure with an open face and cheeky expression, and a boyish voice and body. Birgit Strøm performed the character’s movements and his characteristically boyish voice. He was a precocious boy, 6-7 years of age, who asked thoughtful questions and gave wise answers.

Strøm and Kirkvaag were a very popular duo, both on and away from the television screen. In 1979, Titten Tei appeared alone as the presenter of two programmes about a puppetry festival in Tromsø. Later, in 1985, Titten Tei featured in programmes about Asia with the journalist and broadcaster Simon Flem Devold. The partnership between Kirkvaag and Titten Tei lasted until the mid-1990s. Together with his experienced "co-presenters", Titten Tei was a very popular television puppet. 

SOURCES:
Helgesen, Anne: Animasjonen – Figurteatrets velsignelse og forbannelse. Norsk figurteaterhistorie ("Animation – a blessing and a curse for puppetry: A history of Norwegian puppetry"), PhD dissertation in Theatre Studies, Oslo University 2003

Helgesen, Anne: Descriptions for the TV puppet exhibition "Alle tiders barndomshelter" ("Childhood heroes through the generations"), Slottsfjellsmuseet/Figurfestspillene, 19–28 January 2024.

Kilder: Anne M. Helgesen: Animasjonen-Figurteatrets velsignelse og forbannelse. Norsk figurteaterhistorie. Dr. Art-avhandling i teatervitenskap, institutt for musikk og teater, Det historisk-filosofiske Fakultet, UiO (2003:

Anne Helgesen: Høyt og lavt i norsk teater. Karel Hlavaty og hans dukketeaterkunst, utgitt i forbindelse med Oslo Museum: Teatermuseets utstilling (2022:48,50, 53, 54 og 55).

Helgesen, Anne: Utstillingstekster til "Alle tiders barndomshelter". Slottsfjellsmuseet/Figurfestspillene 19.-28. januar 2024.

Mona Wiig: Opp som en drage? Utviklingen fra dukketeater til teater med skuespillere og dukker i Tsjekkia. og hvordan elementer fra denne kan integreres i en norsk figurteaterutdanning. Ph.d., Det humanistiske fakultet, UiO (2017:45, 46).

Giver: Utlånt av NRK Super. 

Titten Tei, a marionette, was carved from wood. Marionettes have to be constructed from a sturdy material in order for them to bear weight in action, and the joints have to be durable. The marionette also needs to be of a certain weight for stability.

Titten Tei clearly represents the solid, Czech tradition of puppet-making. It is common to use leather to bind the joints together on a marionette, and Titten Tei has many joints. Thin steel wire is also used in the joints, often in combination with leather. There is no standard construction for a marionette; some have fewer joints while others have more. A larger number of joints requires a larger number of strings to control them.

The above description is based on photographs.

Titten Tei’s construction was based on classic and well-known Czech techniques. Hlavaty, who created the marionette, was recognised as a brilliant puppet-maker in his native country. The most common wood used to make marionettes is linden, which is light in weight and relatively easy to carve.

From the photographs it appears that all the body parts of this marionette are made of wood; some of the larger pieces may be hollow. Marionettes have to have a certain weight in order to be stable in performance.

Marionettes are different from other puppets in that they are operated by strings. The performer does not hold the actual figure, but operates the puppet via a control bar that is attached to the puppet’s strings.

The marionette’s movements are determined by the puppet’s joints – and Titten Tei has many joints (or articulations, as they are also known). There is one joint at the top of the neck and another at the throat. There is a joint at the midriff and further joints at the hips, knees and ankles. The knees are constructed with a ball and socket joint and are especially stable. The arms are jointed at the shoulders, elbows and wrists.

Small staples are attached near to the joints, to which the strings are fastened. The strings are then attached to a control bar; some of these are very simple, consisting of two wooden pieces formed in a cross shape, while others are more complex. Titten Tei’s control bar is of the more complex variety, reflecting the Czech tradition. The longer a marionette’s strings are, the more unstable it is, and the more demanding it is to coordinate the joint movements, while the weight always has to be correctly distributed. The threads must be correctly fastened so that the marionette can move and express itself correctly. Such construction demands skill and experience.