Tartu Toy Museum's Theatre House opens new exhibition of puppet characters

The Theatre House of the Tartu Toy Museum, which over the years has introduced children to many stories — from Sipsik to Pettson and Findus — has opened a new exhibition. Visitors can now take a closer look, on the theatre's lower floor, at characters from both past and recent productions.

The Theatre House is a children's theatre whose stage has brought dozens of puppets and characters to life over the years. Some have faded from memory over time, but many are still familiar and beloved by children today.

According to Marge Pärnits, development manager at the Tartu Toy Museum, the very first stage characters were Sipsik and Anu, making it especially fitting to feature them this year, which marks an anniversary for Sipsik. She also noted that the costumes of the Little Prince are among the rarest items in the museum's collection and had never before been shown at an exhibition.

Night at the museum comes alive

The exhibition also features characters beloved by museum staff from the production "Night at the Toy Museum," which premiered around 15 years ago. In it, replicas of the museum's dolls come to life on stage, telling audiences about their nighttime adventures.

Triin Vaaro, director of the Tartu Toy Museum, said the exhibition shows how the museum's dolls and bears were actually transformed into theatre characters. She noted that the original dolls have a fascinating history — how they ended up at the Toy Museum in the first place, how some of them travelled around the world, and how they eventually made their way back.

By introducing visitors to puppet theatre and what happens behind the scenes, the museum also hopes to instill in children a love of theatre. Vaaro recalled that as a small child, her grandmother took her to the Tallinn Puppet Theatre to see a performance about Pinocchio, and when Karabas Barabas appeared on stage growling, she became so frightened that she started crying — soon the whole hall was full of crying children, and Pinocchio had to come out and reassure them that everything would be fine. She said the museum's performances are designed precisely for the youngest audiences, so they can have their first theatre experience here and later be ready for somewhat more serious productions.