Mandalay Marionettes Theatre
Mandalay Marionettes
A small theater keeping alive Burma’s traditional marionette puppetry, staging Jataka tales and court dance excerpts every evening, with English commentary.
Burmese marionette theater began in the Konbaung royal court, where a single puppet could have dozens of strings. It was once a major form of court entertainment and a way of spreading Buddhist stories. The Mandalay Marionettes Theatre was founded in 1986 by local performers. Each evening’s show lasts about an hour and includes excerpts from the Ramayana, Jataka tales and court dances, accompanied by a live traditional Burmese ensemble. After the show, you can go backstage to watch the puppeteers at work. Tickets cost about 15,000 to 20,000 kyat, and the theater also sells handmade puppets. It is on 66th Street in the city center.
Opening hours
Shows nightly from about 20:30 (check theatre announcements)
Nearby sights
- Mandalay Palace
- Atumashi Monastery
- Shwenandaw Monastery
- Sandamuni Pagoda
- Kyauktawgyi Pagoda (Mandalay)
- Kuthodaw Pagoda
- Zegyo Market
- Mandalay Hill