ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the ways in which puppet movement and music in this shadow theatre are perceived, from the point of view of one of the important performers in this theatre, that is, the musician. Puppet movement in this style of Malay shadow play requires sound from the orchestra, whether it is a specific musical piece or simply a 'rattling' of the instruments. The drama told in this shadow puppet theatre takes place using narration, dialogue, puppet movement, sung pieces and instrumental music. While the stylized movement of puppets requires musical sound, musical sound does not dictate that movement must occur. All drums play specific rhythmic patterns for specific pieces, many of which are resultant rhythms played in interlocking performance style. The discourse in this paper has indicated that in Southeast Asian theatrical genres, where movement and music are inextricably tied together, a need for terminology and vocabulary for analytical purposes is clear.
