Fjellmusa (The Mountain Mouse)

Hjemmusa og Fjellmusa* (The Home Mouse and the Mountain Mouse) was a one-act play performed with The Husband Who Was to Mind the House under the title To eventyr* (Two Fairytales). "The first year, more than one hundred performances were given. With revivals some years later, the number reached three hundred. The popularity brought the production to the international festival in Charleville, where it gained appropriate attention: 'The Norwegians seduced their audience', French media wrote. The children delightedly cheered 'l'amour' when two hearts of felt switched places between the two knitted mice. Rarely have emotions been more sincerely or devotedly played by two textile animals." (Wang and Helgesen 2000:298).

Fjellmusa (The Mountain Mouse) came from a simple background and was connected to nature. Besides, he was madly in love with Hjemmusa (The Home Mouse). Fjellmusa was played by Kjell Smidsrød, and later taken over by Knut Wiulsrød. 

Sceneweb also refers to the puppet Hjemmusa, registered from the production.

SOURCES:

Hlavaty, Karel (1970): Dukketeater. Hånddukker - bygging, dekorering, spill (literally: Puppetry. Hand puppets - construction, decoration, performance). J.W. Cappelens Forlag, Oslo. 

Stiftelsen Modum Blaafarveværk/The Royal Cobalt Works of Modum (2006): Dukketeater underveis. Familien Mykle og norsk dukketeater (literally: Puppetry underway. The Mykle family and Norwegian puppetry). Book published at the occasion of an exhibition. 

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). Knut Wiulsrød.

Transported 27.04.2020.

*Not yet translated into the English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Fjellmusa (The Mountain Mouse) was a traditional glove puppet. Its head was cut from Styrofoam, shaped with a long snout. It was strengthened with cotton gauze and glue. The eyes were half rounds made of wood, painted black, and the ears were large and rounded. The inside of the ears was lined with a white field of felt. Fjellmusa was a male mouse with a square scarf around his neck. The rest of the puppet, with head, body, and feet, was covered by a crocheted or knitted suit, an example of good craftmanship. The feet were padded for the sake of prolonging them. According to one source, Fjellmusa was green, and wearing a worn backpack. It also had a long tail.

The description is based on photos.

The first two decades following the war, the glove puppet was the dominant type of puppet in Norwegian professional puppetry. Fjellmusa (The Mountain Mouse) was no exception. This production was one of Karel Hlavaty's early stage design assignments in Norwegian theatre. Through his book Dukketeater. Hånddukker - bygging, dekorering, spill (literally: Puppetry. Hand puppets - construction, decoration, performance, 1970), he was to strengthen the position of the glove puppet in Norwegian puppetry. Fjellmusa was constructed according to Hlavaty's instructions. 

Hlavaty's textbook addressed all interested parties, amateurs as well as professionals. Among other things, he thoroughly described and illustrated placement of hand, undersleeves, oversleeves/costumes and choice of materials in his book.

Arne Mykle, son of Agnar Mykle, took over the management of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s puppetry the spring of 1969. He organised a four-week trainee course, attended by ten persons. In this group, there were several who were to make their mark on Norwegian puppetry, at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) and other Norwegian theatres, in the years to come. The spring of 1970, Arne Mykle withdrew as the leader of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s puppetry, and he stated the following:

"The resignation was the most anonymous resignation in the world. We went out through the backdoor." (Stiftelsen Modum Blaafarveværk/The Royal Cobalt Works of Modum, 2006:89). 

In 1970, Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s puppetry consisted of a new generation of puppeteers. They were first hired on freelance contracts, but eventually became steadily employed. They were young and enthusiastic, but they had little experience with puppetry. This, they were to gain through practice at the theatre.