Nang Talung Shadow Puppets

Nang talung is the shadow theatre of southern Thailand, related to forms across the Malay world and to the older, larger nang yai of central Thailand. Puppets are cut from buffalo or cow hide, perforated and painted, with one or two articulated arms, mounted on sticks and held against a lit cotton screen. A single performer, the nai nang, works the puppets, voices every character, sings, improvises the comedy and directs a small ensemble, and a performance at a temple fair traditionally runs for hours through the night. The stories draw on the Ramakien and local material, with stock comic characters who comment on current events and local affairs in dialect - which is where much of the appeal lies and which is largely inaccessible without the language. The Suchart Subsin house in Nakhon Si Thammarat, run by the family of a national artist, shows carving and gives short demonstrations.

What you actually see

• The hide puppets - cut, perforated and painted, worked on sticks.
• The single performer - one man voicing every character and directing the ensemble.
• The carving - demonstrated at the Nakhon Si Thammarat puppet houses.
• The comic characters - improvised commentary in southern dialect.

When to go

Any time for workshop visits and demonstrations; full performances happen at temple fairs, mostly November to April, and are not scheduled for visitors.

Honest expectations

Full performances run for hours in southern dialect and are largely inaccessible without the language. Workshop demonstrations are short. Finding a real temple fair performance means asking locally rather than booking.

Nearby

Nakhon Si Thammarat city holds the main puppet houses; Kiriwong is west.