Puppet Origin Stories: Mum

Name: Mum
Maker: Oliver Chong
Year of Birth: 2006
Production of Birth: Not specified

Mum, created by Oliver Chong during a 2006 Prague marionette-making masterclass, is a beautifully detailed elderly woman puppet. Initially too heavy for performances, she was recently restored, shedding weight from 2000g to 1360g. With carved wooden lingerie for costume versatility, Mum made her debut in Puppet Origin Stories: Temporary Occupation.

Mum was created by Oliver Chong in a marionette-making workshop conducted by Mirek Trejtnar, Puppets in Prague in 2006.

Before the team (comprising of Oliver Chong, Ang Hui Bin, and Rene Ong) left for Prague, they were told to submit a design of how they want their puppets to look like (a drawing of the front, side, and back view). The instructors will then advise if the puppet is too complicated or impossible to be made. Then the instructors will suggest alterations or to change the design altogether.

Oliver wanted to challenge himself. Since most of the puppets he made previously were male, he decided to make a female character this time. Additionally, marionette-making involves a heavy amount of wood cutting. Oliver chose an older female character so that he would have to carve out folds and wrinkles, making it more challenging for him, compared to carving out a young girl or toddler. Mum is wearing lingerie that is carved out of wood, so there will be no need to take them off and she would be wear any costume over the lingerie, making her a versatile character. As the puppet looks slightly plump and old, Oliver felt that she looks like a Mum character, leading him to name her “Mum”.

When the team returned from Prague, Oliver had hoped for Mum to be used in workshops and performances, but such opportunities could not be found.

For 18 years, she was kept dormant in a corner of TFP. After returning to Singapore for 5 years, she was hospitalised in the Puppet Hospital (where all the puppets that require restoration are kept) for 13 more years

as her strings and leather strips (the joints for the hands, arms, shoulder, neck, head) had corroded under the Singapore’s humidity.

In preparation for Puppet Origin Stories @ ONE-TWO-SIX: Temporary Occupation (2024), Ma Yanling, one of the lead artists of the show chose Mum to be featured in her piece. Oliver then took to restoring the strings as well as making modifications to Mum.

One of the reasons why Mum was not used in performances and workshops was due to her weight. In Prague, marionettes are regarded as art pieces or masterpieces. The emphasis is placed on the craftsmanship and design of the puppets, often more than their performative use. As a result, marionettes are usually expensive and are proudly displayed in museums and galleries, making it acceptable for marionettes to be heavier.

To overcome the weight issue, Oliver thought that he could make Mum lighter but therein lies the risk of destroying the puppet completely. He would need to cut all the parts of the puppet in half and then hollow out all the wood and then join them back, thereby running the following risks:

1. Over-hollowing
2. Failure of Reassembling

Luckily, Oliver succeeded in the restoration of Mum. As of April 2024, Mum now weighs 1360g, initially 2000g, with her strings and leather strips replaced. Oliver also touched up the paint as the seams of the joints became visible after the “surgery”. Mum’s eyes are also now glossier, similar to how natural eyes are like glass.

Oliver hopes that Mum will be used more often now that she is lighter although she is still heavier than TFP’s usual puppets as those puppets are made of Styrofoam and minimal wood. Mum will be making her first debut in Puppet Origin Stories @ ONE-TWO-SIX: Temporary Occupation (2024).