This puppetry and visual theatre performance from Indonesia takes as its starting point a bloody military coup that took place in 1965, opening with a video projection of (literal) puppet politicians giving speeches and live masked performers cheering the events waving red balloons and red flags. One either side of the white cotton screen that hangs at the back of the stage are two fabric constructions with little red platforms leading from them, like raised walkways over very swampy ground.

The core of the show is a tale of two families portrayed by puppets – two fathers, two brothers, and one little girl in a wheelchair. They are neighbours and one of the fathers is ultimately arrested. The puppets are operated in the kuruma ningyo style of the puppeteer sitting on a little box on wheels freeing both hands and feet to operate the head, arm, and feet of the puppet. This places the action low on the floor and the audience struggled to see some of it in the C venue it was presented in.

The story is a simple one of how political turmoil affects the children and we are moved by the innocence of the young child. Intermingled with the representational portrayal of the children and their fathers is a more abstract, symbolist visual theatre performance combining mask, projection and totemistic handling of dolls symbolising the oppression of the people. It’s here that the real strength of Mwathirika lies – the wordless portrayal of human suffering.