Morten Woodmouse AKA Morty Forest Mouse

The Animals in the Hunchback Wood was the first production of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo Nye Teater)'s puppetry theatre. It was performed at the theatre's main stage, and the stage floor was "moved down so that the six performers were almost hidden by the ramp, a low screen covered their heads, and so the puppets performed at approximately the same height as human actors would have done. Nothing was skimped on, not puppets nor backdrops." (Helgesen 2003:351).

The role of Morten Woodmouse AKA Morty Forest Mouse was played by Kalle Haakonsen. According to the writer, Morten AKA Morty was a good and industrious mouse who worked on his own and let other be. 

Sceneweb refers to the other theatre puppets registered from the production. These are Climbing Mouse, Marvin Fox and Mister Hare, the baker. 

SOURCES:

Helgesen, Anne M.: Animasjonen - Figurteatrets velsignelse og forbannelse. Norsk Figurteaterhistorie (literally: Animation - The blessing and curse of puppetry. Norwegian puppetry history). Dr. Art. thesis in theatre theory, 2003, UiO. 

Ånd i hanske, no. 2, 1993

Donated by: Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre).

Transported 13.03.2020.

The head of this puppet was likely shaped in clay, after which it was cast in a clay mould with newspaper or cotton gauze and glue. According to tradition, Czech and French, an undersleeve of soft cotton adjusted to the puppeteer's hand was sewn, for the sake of control of the puppet during the performance. The oversleeve or costume consisted of a vest, shirt and a 'trouser skirt' in the same fabric as the vest. Morten Woodmouse AKA Morty Forest Mouse wore a little hat on his head.

Morten Woodmouse AKA Morty Forest Mouse was a glove puppet built "with foam rubber lining and prolonging cuffs for the arms, to make them larger than traditional glove puppets" (Anne Helgesen: 2003:351). It is likely that the pattern for these puppets was based on Czech traditions, like in former productions at Folketeatret. The pattern was brought to Norway by Birgit Strøm after a residency in Prague in 1952-53. 

Morgenposten's review after the world premiere was very positive. The newspaper wrote: "Indeed, the excitement and the mood were at top level all the time, as the 14 scenes changed from the visit in Mister Hare, the baker's shop, the home of the bears where Bear Mother did her cleaning and not least the scene where the Bear boy was kidnapped by the farmer in the wood... The performance was fun, and the performers beneath the stage made the puppets act life-like. Particularly funny characters were the mice, the Bear father and not least Marvin Fox. And often, the feisty melodies by Christian Hartmann and Thorbjørn Egner were played in the background while 'the animals' sung and moved between delightful backdrops." (Helgesen, Anne: "Mikko Matti og et vell av venner" (literally: Mikko Matti and a lot of friends), Ånd i hanske, no. 2, 1993: 11-12).