Located in the Plainpalais district, the Théâtre de Marionnettes de Genève (TMG) has a rich history dating back to the 1940s, establishing itself as one of the rare European theaters exclusively dedicated to puppetry. TMG presents captivating performances tailored for audiences ranging from 2 years old to adulthood. Offering approximately 14 shows annually, the theater also hosts workshops, further enhancing its mission to promote the appreciation and exploration of puppetry as a captivating form of artistic expression.
Choreographer Ugo Dehaes replaces his human troupe with extravagant robot-dancers endowed with an artificial intelligence that invents their own choreography. Intimate and unsettling, the performance invites the audience to sit around a table as the mechanised performers execute an uncanny, rhythmic ballet. Marie Peeters’ dramaturgy frames questions about labour, profit and the place of culture, while Wannes Deneer’s scenography and musical composition shape a tactile, immersive atmosphere. The piece blends humour, critique and physical precision.
Pascal Laajili, lighting designer renowned for his collaborations with Valérie Lesort, Christian Hecq and the Philippe Genty company, leads this technical laboratory. The workshop investigates how light interacts with the puppet’s shifting scale, its multiple layers of reality and unique dramaturgy. Through collective experiments, participants explore lighting strategies that treat light as a play partner capable of revealing, transforming or making the object disappear. The format is workshop-focused and intended for professional practitioners.
In French.
Two performers play a mischievous game between bodies and shadows. Shadows break free from their models, change shape, defy physics, and perform surprising tricks. Bodies become shadows and shadows take form; performers appear and vanish. With three white sheets, a few objects and flashlight melodies, children are invited into a whimsical world of light, movement and music where imagination takes flight.
In French. Kids ages 4 and up.
Le Grand Chantier is the flagship workshop of the TMG that invites puppet enthusiasts to explore all stages of creating a performance, from fabrication to stagecraft, across five intensive weekends. Led by Olivier Carrel with expert contributors, the programme examines construction, manipulation, writing and directing while emphasizing practical skills and collective creation. Participants develop a piece through guided exercises, collaborative rehearsals and scenographic work. Open to participants aged 12 and up.
In French.
Ingrid Hansen, a puppet artist from the Jim Henson Company (Fraggle Rock, Sesame Workshop), stages a surreal cabaret of illusions and absurd comedy. The variety show is led by Florence, a mischievous grandmother figure, and mixes bold cinematic video, close‑ups of everyday objects projected large, puppetry and daring sleights to create impertinent, often erotic vignettes. The piece juxtaposes tactile puppet performance with live filmic effects to produce surprising, humorous and uncanny moments.
Follow Baby Tyler’s hilarious adventures as a tiny hero navigates a world built for grown-ups. Actress and puppeteer Ingrid Hansen turns everyday objects into lively puppets, animating a mischievous finger puppet live on camera and projecting the action onstage. The contemporary tale balances laughter and tenderness as Baby Tyler discovers resilience, problem‑solving and when to ask for help. Bright visuals, playful sounds and surprising interactions invite young audiences to imagine and empathize.
In French. Kids ages 5 and up.
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