Thailand: A shadow puppeteer, Chumphon, southern Thailand (1995)

Nang talung' is the shadow puppet theatre popular in southern Thailand. It is an art form said to have originated as early as 400 BCE in Southeast Asia. Performances usually last well into the night and remain an essential if diminishing part of village life in Thailand's Deep South. ‘Nang’ means ‘animal hide’, from which the figures are cut. ‘Talung’ refers to Phatthalung, a town in southern Thailand where the art form is said to have originated. It is the task of a single skilled person, the 'nai nag' or ‘puppet master’, to create the whole show. Sitting behind an illuminated screen, he maneuvers up to six puppets per scene. The changing tone of the puppeteers voice differentiates between the characters, while a band of musicians adds tension to the story. While the more formal 'nang yai' is based on the Hindu epic the Ramayana -known as the Ramakien in Thai -'nang talung' takes its inspiration from everyday life.