The production
Many of their famous productions were taken from the Brothers Grimm’s tales. In addition, they also produced One Thousand and One Nights, Räuber Hotzenplotz or The Little Witch, and others had been really very popular among the kids. Moreover, characters like Aladdin and his wooden lamp stayed in the memories of individuals who had witnessed the productions even later in life they would reminisce and giggle up at one of its accounts. For generations, the theatre company had managed to spark imagination and fantasy building among the younger lot.
The theatre company also produced many plays for its adult audience. Their most successful play was The Little Prince, which was showcased on 26th of February, 1951. The Puppenkiste also premiered Brecht’s play, The Threepenny Opera in Augsburg in September 1960 along with an adaptation of Der Prozess um des Esels Schatten (The trial over the donkey’s shadow) which was written by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and these performances were very well received.
Among the classics that they staged was Dr. Johann Georg Faust, and there also were musicals and operas by Mozart, also, Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Bastien und Bastienne and The Magic Flute by Mozart again were recreated. Walter Oehmichen himself would voice and at times and be the narrator of many of these staging’s. In 2005 when the world was celebrating Mozarts 250th birth anniversary, his grand opera: Don Giovanni was brought to life by Klaus Marschall. Over the years the company’s productions have focused more on children.
Furthermore, it was on the 21st of January, 1953 when the company first aired their TV production of Peter and the Wolf. It was broadcasted live from a bunker in Hamburg as recording technology was unavailable to them at that time. Their shows were an instant success, it reached far and wide in Germany. In the due course, Puppenkiste also moved into feature films and movies. Up-till this point in time all their productions were mere recordings of their theatrical productions. Though, filmmaking was not an easy task as temperatures in the production house would soar and thus make it difficult for the people to work.
Augburger Puppenkiste, on their fiftieth anniversary in 1998 went across Germany’s paediatric clinics. They did this for about two years to encourage children who were sick. During these tours they went on performing plays like: The little kangaroo and the scaredy-hare. The Marionette Theatre along with Mutmachstuck has been touring since 2003. They also toured Japan in 2006, in the months of April and May they showcased The Little Kangaroo and Coward.
Many of the stories that Augsburger Puppenkiste produced have been well preserved in the form of books for children. These stores are set to entertain many children throughout the world and for the coming generations, furthermore, to list a few:
- Bill Bo und seine Kumpane, 1972
- Kleiner König Kalle Wirsch, 1972
- Urmel aus dem Eis, 1973
- 3:0 für die Bärte, 1973
- Wir Schildbürger, 1973