Today, we live in a world rich with diverse technologies—animation, movies, computer graphics, artificial intelligence—that offer endless ways to tell a story beyond the traditional medium of live theatre. But can you imagine how stories were told before the invention of motion picture technology? Yes, through puppets! In fact, puppetry stands as one of the oldest and most fascinating forms of animation, and Wayang puppet theatre is the traditional art that was used for storytelling in Indonesia for more than a thousand years. Let’s discover art of Indonesian puppetry through cultural performances in this blog. Wayang puppet theatre, an endangered art form Originated on the Indonesian island of Java, puppetry is a long-lived form of storytelling is famous for its elaborate puppets and intricate musical styles. The puppetry art comes in different forms and styles, like the three-dimensional wooden puppet theatre (wayang golek) or the more iconic shadow puppet theatre (wayang kulit). Wayang puppet theatre has been an integral part of Southeast Asian culture for centuries, particularly in Indonesia, where it brings myths, legends and history to life through finely crafted puppets, captivating music and skillful performances. Beyond entertainment, the art of puppetry also serves as a medium for preserving cultural traditions, stories and moral values. Puppetry is an unique art form blends masterful performance skills with traditional craftsmanship to produce a captivating fusion of visual and artistic expression. From behind a lighted screen, a master puppeteer (the dalang) manipulates the puppets skillfully to create an illusion of moving images with the projected shadows, and performs all the voice work, bringing the characters to life. Often, the performance is accompanied by a traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra, the gamelan (also cued by the dalang, sometimes using his toes!), which sets the mood and enhances the emotions of the story. The puppets themselves are works of art, often meticulously handcrafted. Wayang golek are traditional rod puppets made of wood, decorated with unique headdresses, costumes, and painted in vibrant colours that represent various personalities, while wayang kulit are flat leather shadow puppets made of buffalo hide and feature intricate designs such as cut-outs, facial features and articulated body parts to create mesmerising display of shadow and colour on the screen. Unfortunately, this precious art form is now endangered. For generations, its techniques and repertoires were only passed down orally within the puppeteer families. As such, a skilled dalang is highly regarded as a celebrity, and truly great ones are rare and hard to find. On top of that, facing competition from modern forms of entertainment such as television and the internet, some performers have begun to “modify” the art by incorporating contemporary music or adapting stories from popular culture, trying to appeal to young people, and leading to the erosion of some traditional features that makes this art form truly unique. In 2008, wayang puppet theatre was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, while gamelan was included in the List in 2021. The epic stories, Ramayana and Mahabharata Let’s get to know some classic tales performed in wayang puppet theatre. Traditionally, the stories performed are drawn from mythologies, such as episodes from two great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as other cultural legends. The Ramayana tells the story of Prince Rama, who is exiled by his stepmother, seeking to prevent him from being crowned as the king. During the exile, his wife Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon king. Together with his half-brother, Rama embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her. Along the way, they form powerful alliances, such as Hanuman, a devoted general of the Monkey King, who leads an army of monkeys and bears to help battle with the forces of evil. Eventually, with the help of divine weapons and guidance from the gods, Rama defeats Ravana, rescues Sita, and returns to claim his rightful throne as the king. The Ramayana is a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil, where it teaches important lessons about the moral right or wrong, and explores the ideas of righteousness, virtue and loyalty. The other tale, the Mahabharata, is an epic tale of conflict between two groups of cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The rivalry arises when Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, is denied his rightful claim to the throne of Hastinapura. After losing a rigged dice game set up by the Kauravas, the Pandavas are forced into exile. During this time, they build alliances with other kingdoms and gather strength. Yet upon their return, Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, refuses to return the kingdom, and an intense battle ensues, with each side supported by gods and mighty warriors. Guided by the god Krishna, fighting for justice and righteousness, the Pandavas ultimately defeat the Kauravas and win the war, but the victory comes at a devastating cost. Many key characters die, and nearly an entire generation is wiped out. The story emphasises themes of family, justice and morality, as well as the dire consequences of war. While the Ramayana and Mahabharata originate from India, they are very important in Indonesian culture, as Hinduism is a part of their history. These epic tales, depicted in wayang puppet theatre, are crucial to Indonesia’s cultural heritage. In fact, two major Indian festivals celebrate events from the Ramayana: Dussehra marks Rama’s victory over the antagonist Ravana, and Diwali marks Rama’s return home from exile. The stories also offer valuable lessons that shape the ethical values of the Indonesian people, providing moral guidance that is deeply embedded in the local society. The benefits of puppetry for early childhood learners Puppetry, while entertaining and suitable for people of all ages, plays an important role in early childhood education. A study show that storytelling contributes significantly to various aspects of child development. Listening to stories helps children understand events, experiences, and facts, while also enhancing their reading, listening, and speaking abilities. It fosters creativity, imagination, and critical thinking. More importantly, storytelling provides a joyful learning experience for children, encouraging them to not only learn, but also understand how to learn, as they interpret the content and moral lessons of the stories. The performance itself presents engaging and captivating ways that capture children’s attention and actively involve them in the learning process. Using puppets as a medium for storytelling, especially ones that resemble human figures, allows children to gain a better understanding of themselves, the people around them, and the world. For younger children, fables featuring animal characters with clear morals and values are often easier to follow and more effective for educational outcomes. Wayang kancil, a traditional shadow puppet theatre centered around Kancil, the famous “mouse deer”, and featuring mainly animals – wild ones representing the bad and tame ones representing the good – serves as a great example. In fact, the version that puppet master Sumardi is bringing to Australia as part of his national tour has been specially adapted into a pre-primary friendly performance. On the other hand, the epic stories featured in wayang puppet theatre — Ramayana and Mahabharata, offer valuable moral lessons on kindness, charity, patriotism, and humanism, making them ideal for school-aged children. The elaborate storylines evoke emotions like joy, sadness, curiosity, and understanding that guide them in navigating the basic pattern and complexity of life. Through the narratives, children learn about the experience and personality of the characters, which helps them to develop empathy and a deeper understanding of others. For Early Childhood Centres Australia-Wide, Sumardi is offering a tailored program, Wayang Kancil. A rare encounter with the master of wayang puppetry In 2025, Cultural Infusion is proud to present a tour by Pak Sumardi, a master dalang from Sragen, Central Java, who will bring the captivating wayang puppet theatre to schools, early childhood and community centers across the whole country. Greatly respected and highly important within the Indonesian culture, a dalang has the power to reach thousands of people with a performance. The dalang possesses exceptional techniques in puppet manipulation and narration, along with remarkable stamina, as a traditional wayang kulit performance sometimes can take up to nine hours. More than just a performer, the dalang also teaches concepts about good and bad, giving life lessons in an entertaining way and often incorporates political messages into their performances. Achieving this level of mastery takes years of training, usually through practical apprenticeship within the families, where they learn exquisite skills in many different arts, as well as a deep understanding of art form’s rich history and cultural significance. Finding a great dalang is a rare occurrence, and Sumardi is one of the last great masters of this ancient art. Inspired by the best female puppeteer in Indonesia – his grandmother, Sumardi began his studies at the very young age of eleven and spent nine years to become a dalang. Some of the puppets he has inherited are more than 100 years old! Being one of the only 36 practicing shadow puppet masters in the country, Sumardi has been performing wayang puppet theatre for more than three decades, touring in different countries including South Korea, Spain and the Netherlands. He is a true maestro of the art form. From February to October 2025, Sumardi will return to Australia and showcase his masterful puppetry skills and introduce Indonesian culture to students in a nation-wide performance tour. This is a unique opportunity for students to experience this exquisite art form up-close and learn valuable knowledge of its cultural background. The program lineup includes wayang kulit, wayang golek and wayang kancil — a shadow puppetry performance for early age children about the importance of nature and animal preservation. All performances are expertly adapted into English and tailored to school and early learning settings, in which the audience will have the chance to view the performance from both sides of the screen, enjoying a more comprehensive experience of this magical art. They can also be paired with informative and interactive workshops about Indonesian culture and puppetry art to become a full half-day experience for the students, one of the best ways to complement the Indonesian language program in schools. To catch a glimpse of the enchanting nature of traditional Indonesian puppetry, watch a clip of Sumardi’s energetic performance here. Booking for the tour has already started, and this is an experience not to be missed! For more information about the Sumardi tour or to book, please call 03 9412 6666 or email us at [email protected].
