The Park is a tabletop puppetry performance presented by Puppet Beings Theatre which is beguiling and charming. Five puppeteers in costumes that are all black yet professionally designed manipulate 18-inch fully-articulated rod puppets to present a scene of an old man in a park and his encounters with a dog and children. The only set is a simple tree that interestingly is not on the table but behind the puppeteers. Each of the puppets is operated by a team of one to three puppeteers and the wordless, simple action is easy to follow. There is a gentle easy pace to this performance which can feel dreamlike.

The Paper Play, which forms the main part of the presentation, is very different. The five performers move and manipulate large white paper strips into a variety of shapes, each more clever than the last. The craft, creativity and fun of the opening section is plenty to stimulate a whole world of creative play in children. Pre-made puppets appear after a while, but the way the puppeteers slip in and out of being puppeteers and being performers shows a skilled director has been at work to create this show. There is quite a bit of clowning around and light interaction with the creatures that appear and disappear.

Neither performance has much of a narrative: there are non-narrative visual theatre elements and then some vignettes. Everyone who sees this show will have their own visual and performance highlight moments to remember, and may even want to recreate at home or with friends.

Presented as part of the Taiwan Season