A poetic world of puppets with a distinctive visual aesthetic and subtle animation creates a unique theatrical experience celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Cankar. The production is a complex and visually layered puppet portrait of one of Slovenia’s greatest writers.
It draws on Cankar’s exceptionally rich oeuvre, including short stories, plays, novels and letters, and explores themes central to his writing: longing, guilt, social inequality, eroticism, faith, war, death.
More than a tribute marking an important anniversary, the performance is a witty, moving and at time dark visual exploration of a creator whose ideas remain vivid, inspirational and relevant today. Through the interplay of puppetry, dramatic adaptation and evocative imagery, Silvan Omerzu crafts a distinctive theatrical language that brings Cankar’s ideas to life.
Founded in 1974, Maribor Puppet Theatre has, over the past fifty years, established itself as a theatre primarily dedicated to performances for children, but its repertoire also includes productions for young people and adults.
In 2010, the theatre moved to a new home – a renovated Minorite monastery on the banks of the Drava River, featuring two performance spaces (one large and one small hall) and a puppet museum. These new facilities opened up broader possibilities for the artistic exploration of the world of puppetry.
Each year, the theatre produces at least five new performances for audiences of all ages and develops a wide range of educational programmes that complement its artistic work. It also organises an international puppet festival – Summer Puppet Pier every year, and the Biennial of Slovenian Puppet Artists every other year.
