The curtains of a theatre open onto a smaller puppet theatre presided over by Marianne. The ringmaster waves her baton at three shadowy acrobats that climb one by one out of her hat. Each performs his number, although not without some difficulty. The clumsiness of the first, the mischievousness of the second, and the fieriness of the third trigger a few clashes that ultimately lead to chaos. How can Marianne create harmony without losing control? Will her show flop? Who's really calling the shots, the little puppet or her acrobats?

Co Hoedeman stages a big show in a tiny world. This dazzling magician, master of illusion and lighting wizard has in fact created a show within a show within a film. Brilliantly executed, Marianne's Theatre dissolves the boundaries between theatre and animated film. Co Hoedeman offers the gift of magic and a surprise named Marianne. A film without words.