| Title | File type | Publiseringsdato | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norske fjernsynsdukker: Article in Norwegian about the history of NRK’s (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s) television puppets. | September 4, 2024 | Download |
Smula
Smula featured in the NRK programme Frokost-TV ("Breakfast TV") with Erik Bye, and was also a guest in the programme Slå på jul (a Christmas wordplay on "Hoop rolling") with Trond-Viggo Torgersen and the TV figure Flode. Both programmes were broadcast from 1983. Birgit Strøm was responsible for the concept and script, and Erik Bye was the presenter and interlocutor.
Like the famous puppets Titten Tei and Teodor, Smula was intended to be a talking puppet. Birgit Strøm had made her mark as interpreter and performer of Titten Tei and Teodor – who featured together with some of the major post-war male presenters in NRK, Rolf Kirkvaag and Lauritz Johnson. Now it was the turn of the well-known TV personality and artist Erik Bye to share conversations with Smula.
Smula was made by the Czech scenographer and puppet maker Jarmila Majerová.
Information
(Objekt ID 145688)| Object type | Puppet |
| Production date | 1983 |
| Category | Glove puppet, Rod puppet |
| Themes | Children, Youth, Adult, Television figure |
| Size | Approximately 60-65 cm (including the puppet’s legs) |
| License | The descendants of Birgit Strøm (Nina Lyng-Vangsten and Selma Therese Lyng). |
Teaterfigur
Teaterfigurer, bedre kjent som teaterdukker, har spilt på norske scener i generasjoner, til stor glede for publikum i alle aldersgrupper.
Smula was a sweet girl puppet with large, movable eyes. She had a high-pitched, cheerful voice and she was between 6 and 8 years old. She was rather precocious in conversation with Erik Bye. In the first season of Frokost-TV she was sometimes joined by other puppets.
Birgit Strøm interpreted and performed Smula.
SOURCE:
Helgesen, Anne: Descriptions for the TV puppet exhibition "Alle tiders barndomshelter" ("Childhood heroes through the generations"), Slottsfjellsmuseet/Figurfestspillene, 19–28 January 2024.
Ownership: Nina Lyng-Vagsten and Selma Therese Lyng (loaned).
Transmitted to Sceneweb: 01.02.2024
The head was carved of wood, and possibly also the legs, which have jointed knees. One of the puppets is a glove puppet, the other (Smula in a long dress) is constructed using a “pistol” mechanism, which is much more technically challenging. Thus two Smula puppets were made, to create a larger range of movement and more character to the figure.
One of the puppets is clothed in normal, everyday clothes – probably made of cotton which is light and easy to manipulate. The other puppet is pictured dressed up for a special occasion, with a crown on her head, a dress in shiny gold material and a velvet cape. Both puppets have coarse hair that may be made of dyed hemp.
Both puppets have a high collar, presumably to hide the neck construction. The princess puppet is more complex, with joints in the neck, while the glove puppet is probably constructed in the traditional way for manual movement of the puppet.
The above description is based on photographs and knowledge of the Czech “pistol” mechanism.
We have placed Smula in the category rod puppets, because in this gallery we do not have a specific category for the more complex “pistol” system.
The head of the puppet controlled by a pistol system was hollow, and inside the head a horizontal rod was fixed, onto which the eyes were threaded. Strong, thin wires joined the eyes to the controlling mechanism, called “pistol”. This is a vertical rod, from the head to the chest area, on which various constructions are mounted. In addition to the movable eyes, the neck can be moved. It is possible that the arms were moved using the pistol mechanism, but the performer may also have used her other hand to move the arms – both are possible.
We don’t have further details of how the figure was constructed in order to make as many movements as possible.
The complex technical “pistol” system had not been used previously in Norway. These puppets were designed by the well-known Czech scenographer and puppet maker Jarmila Majerová.
The other Smula was a glove puppet, with a much simpler construction. It is moved by the performer’s hand, but it is made more complicated by the fact that the puppet’s eyes can move.
The above description is based on photographs and knowledge of the Czech “pistol” mechanism.
The pistol mechanism used in the Smula puppets was developed and perfected in the former Czechoslovakia. The designer and puppet maker Jarmila Majerová was one of the country’s most important scenographers in the 1960s and subsequent decades. She collaborated with Birgit Strøm several times in the 1960s, primarily in connection with productions at Oslo New Puppet Theatre (Oslo Nye Dukketeater).
| Jarmila Majerová (person) | – Designer, Puppet Maker |
| NRK (organization) | – Creator |
| Frokost-TV (production) | – Glove puppet |