Mister Hare, the baker

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 Mister Hare, the baker was played by Julian Strøm. As a character, he was kind and well-meaning, but also a bit clever. 

Sceneweb refers to the other theatre puppets registered from the production. These are Climbing Mouse, Morten Woodmouse AKA Morty Forest Mouse and Marvin Fox. 

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. 

Wang, Ragnhild and Vibeke Helgesen: Den magiske hånd. Dukkespill og figurteater gjennom tidene (literally: The magic hand. Puppetry throughout the ages). Pax forlag, Oslo 2000.

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

Transported 13.03.2020.

The head of Mister Hare, the baker was, according to tradition, shaped in clay, after which it was cast in a clay mould with newspaper or cotton gauze and glue. According to Czech and French traditions, represented by the families Mykle and Strøm, an undersleeve was sewn of soft cotton, adjusted to the puppeteer's hand. This is important for the sake of control of the puppet during the performance. The oversleeve or costume can be shaped according to the puppet's character, but the weight and physical character of the material are also important. The costume should not be too heavy and the fabric not too thick or stiff. Flexibility and light weight matter for the puppet's mobility and use in performance.

The glove puppet Mister Hare, the baker was 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. 

The head of the puppet needs to be lightweight, the undersleeve adjusted to the puppeteer's hand, and the oversleeve/costume is to give the puppet character. An important point in the design of glove puppets was (and is) to keep the weight low to reduce the physical strain on the puppeteer. It is heavy to perform with glove puppets with the arm/arms kept above one's head, the way the aesthetic was at the time. The puppeteer needed to stay hidden from the audience.

"In 1959, Folketeatret had to give up its activity. Det Nye Teater had to do the same. The two theatres became Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) - an institution with significant support from the municipality of Oslo." (Helgesen, 2003:349).

Since the start at Folketeatret in 1953, the puppetry ensemble had annually had a new premiere, with an average of 250 performances each year. This also included tours with The Norwegian Touring Theatre (Helgesen, 2003:346).

The Animals in the Hunchback Wood was the first puppetry production at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre).