Meeting the impossible Hamask Puppet and Mask Theatre Company play those stories that are best told with puppets and masks. Although puppets and mask have some limitations they also have a great variation of possibilities. Using these to their limit we have found our own form of theatre on the threshold of the impossible. In Hamasks we use a combination of full masks, half masks and several different types of puppets. Full masks are often slow and perform choreographed dance like sequences while half masks are wild creatures difficult to control. Puppets share some basic traits with masks but can be more manipulated, transformed and deformed to take audiences to the most fantastic places. |
Thus our plays are character driven even in the planning and writing stages. Throughout the whole theatre process all characters keep a certain amount of freedom ensuring an unprecedented freedom to improvise also in the finished play. Our inspiration for this way of working is taken from old Nordic mask and puppet traditions all the way back to the masked parades of Viking Age Hedeby and the shamanistic traditions of the Sami. But we also incorporate the techniques of modern thinkers such as Keith Johnston, My Walter and Nevil Tranter.
Adhering to our “to the source” theatre tradition we believe that robust, high quality gear is an essential prerequisite of a good performance. Therefore we produce all puppets, masks, costumes and props in our own workshop. Masks are mostly made from leather, but we also master papier-maché, latex and wood techniques. |
