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.
Follow a tender little creature who, having fallen from its nest, must learn that soft fur won’t let it fly and that its path lies on the ground. Braving seasons and elements, it walks step by step through encounters both hostile and kind, discovering its place in the world. The journey unfolds within a mechanical storytelling stage: a moving conveyor, dreamlike landscapes and chimera characters create poetic, animated tableaux that feed this curious hero’s adventures.
In French. Kids ages 6 and up.
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.
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