Puppets

I had a dream about puppets last night. I find them a little scary, even when awake, but then I have a vivid imagination as am sure they have lives of their own! The odd thing is that it is not puppets in performance that I find, well.. disturbing; it's only when they are stationary, "resting", waiting... Fortunately I do not have too much to do with them, but sometimes they cannot be avoided. This is certainly the case in Prague where puppets used to be as prevalent as people. They were frequently used in satirical performances of a political nature as they could somehow push the boundaries of what was acceptable far more than real actors. Somehow they could get away with it. Indeed, political puppetry became an art form, filled with double meanings, jabs at authority and parallels to specific events and developments, before the iron curtain was lifted on a completely new political landscape. After that puppets lost some of their edge, becoming once again toys, playthings and souvenirs. However, I would like to think that they are still occasionally employed in satirical performances. Here, beautifully crafted and brightly coloured puppets –or marionettes– hang nonchalantly waiting for fresh employment. Nice, but still somehow a little scary. Are they perhaps listening in on the two women's conversation...? Location: Prague, Czech Republic