Wayang Kulit - New Zealand/Indonesia

Wayang Kulit with Joko Susilo and Gamelan Padhang Moncar Traditional Javanese shadow puppet show presented by eighth generation Javanese puppeteer, Joko Susilo of Dunedin and Gamelan Padhang Moncar (Javanese gamelan ensemble) from the NZ School of Music, Wellington.

Wayang Kulit is a sophisticated art form that traditionally runs all night from 8pm to 5am and appeals to a wide range of the community, both adults and children. It features exquisitely carved leather shadow puppets to tell tales from one of the traditional Indian epics, the Mahabharata or the Ramayana, with local references and jokes that make the shows relevant and topical.

The puppets are of extraordinary beauty – not only are they delicately carved, making exquisite shadows, but they are also painted brilliantly so that it is just as rewarding to watch the show from the puppeteer’s side of the screen as the shadow side. It is fascinating to watch the puppeteer’s skill in manipulating the puppets to make them do flips, fight battles, go on journeys, and enact love scenes – vocal skills are equally important as the puppeteer also sings and does all the narration and dialogue, including cracking jokes.

Joko is accompanied by Gamelan Padhang Moncar, a Javanese percussion ensemble based in Wellington for over 30 years who have performed with him many times. They are directed by master musician, Budi Putra.

In his presentations from behind the screen where he cooks under hot lights wearing heavy Javanese clothes Joko works references to football teams, the weather and local events into the classic Mahabharata and Ramayana epics...seeing a dexterous dalang work a collection of more than 100 whirling puppets, flashing them across the screen, dodging and receiving arrows and spears, spinning them up and down while singing the story and adding sound effects redefines multi-tasking. Duncan Graham, Jakarta Post, 1 May 2008.

This show is supported by the NZ School of Music, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia and the Asia NZ Foundation.

www.jokodhalang.com
www.gamelan.org.nz