“PÚPÄTKO” from the Slovak Ján Palárik Theatre

Creating theatre for the very young – one that can hold their attention, stimulate the right impulses, and convey just values – seems to be a huge challenge. Among the events of the fourth day of the 7th New Theatre for Children Festival (held at the Wrocław Puppetry Theatre), the Slovak Ján Palárik Theatre showed that it is possible, even for the very youngest audience. Three actors and actresses under the directorial leadership of Alicja Morawska-Rubczak created the performance PÚPÄTKO, which was aimed at children aged no less than six months and no more than three years.

On the Kameralna Stage, a captivating story about nature unfolds, a story that resonates with the audience about the beauty of nature and the harmony it brings. Petra Dobiš Blesáková, Silvia Soldanová and Matúš Beniak, who played in the performance, presented the spectators with various elements of nature, which ultimately contributed to the growth of the seed planted at the beginning of the performance. The first was the wind, imitated by the actors’ fluid movements and the sounds they made (swishing, blowing, humming). The next element was the rain, represented through the engaging choreography, soundscape, and geometric drops hanging from the ceiling. The final feature was the sun, visualised through a play of mirrors and lights. After the action of each of the natural elements, the púpätko (doughnut) emerged on stage after the actors imaginatively combined the various elements of the set design.

Equally as important in the performance was the thoughtful way in which the story was presented to the children. From the very first moments when the audience was led into the room, a calm, safe atmosphere was created around the little ones. The actors, playing on wooden air bells, invited the participants to take their seats at the edge of the stage designed by Barbara Małecka. The shapes of the set design elements (e.g. wooden leaves or spatial drops) were gentle, the light dimmed, warm and delicate, and the music (composed by Iwona Skv) soothing and hypnotic. The actors’ slow and precise movements meant that the children were able to closely observe the events happening in front of them. What’s more, the children had the opportunity to participate sensorily in the performance – the grass that replaced the floor was not the only element engaging their senses. The performers approached the children, allowing them to look in the mirrors, play by colliding wooden elements, and touch the scenery of various shapes – but they did it with great delicacy and sensitivity, leaving the kids to decide whether they wanted to physically interact with another human being or object.

The Wrocław encounter with PÚPÄTKO seems to have left no doubt as to how much joy it brought the children to interact with nature in the safe and comfortable environment of the theatre. The show was also an amazing experience for the adult audience – it allowed them to pause in small, sensual delights and remember (as sung in the show’s closing song) that everyone is a nature-bound bud that will unfold when the time is right.

Zuzanna Madurska is a student at the University of Wrocław. This text was written by students as part of the collaboration between the University of Amsterdam, the University of Wrocław, and the Wrocław Puppetry Theatre and supervised by Kasia Lech and Justyna Kowal.