Puppet games, Tabor
Tábor will once again host the Puppet Theatre Festival Puppet Games, which will take place in a small historical square that will be transformed into a magical world of puppets. The eighth edition of the festival will be held here, with a varied programme for children and adults, hosted by the presenter Dan Čechtice.
This year, the programme on the main stage performed by Divadlo Kubko relies on an incredible technical and genre dispersion. "A Pirate's Tale" draws you into the action with the raw sound of live instruments - you'll hear the cistra and bass guitar adding a nautical edge to the story. But then the atmosphere changes dramatically with "African Tale." Here, tradition meets modern technology: while the puppets are the result of precise carving, the original music is controlled in a modern way via Bluetooth directly from the actor's phone. The magical puppets of the carver Matej bring Africa to you and you become part of it. As the viewer takes the reins. Circus Barbar (Zuzana Smolová) brings the "Puppet Show" to Tábor - currently the largest interactive space of its kind in the region. Unlike regular performances, children and adults alike are provided with 5 sets of professional puppets (approximately 60 pieces) and several elaborate scenes. From an observer you become a puppeteer, set designer and director. It's a space where you can experience first-hand how challenging and beautiful it is to breathe life into wood.
The juxtaposition of giants with the nostalgia of the old days. The festival masterfully works with scale and emotion. Two monumental moving giant puppets of the Kvelb group will tower over the heads of visitors, their size breathtaking. As a counterbalance to these giants is Mr. Hašek's historic fairy-tale carousel, whose creaks and classic shapes will evoke a wave of pure nostalgia in parents and grandparents. The festival turns into a creative workshop in the Well Theatre Studio. Visitors can make their own masks and puppets to take home as a lasting memory. The educational dimension is complemented by a fairy tale quiz and an exhibition of puppets.
Traditional skills will then be tested by the "Merry Play" of the EMILLIon Theatre:
- Fairy tale challenges: Save the Princess, Robbers, The Road Home.
- Perception and Dexterity: Ring Toss, Fish Fingers, Puppet Trainer.
- Cognition and Creativity: Meet the Animals, Draw a Picture.
There will also be a relaxed café. While the children are in the throes of creativity colouring their first puppets or solving quiz questions, the parents finally have the space to relax, have a good coffee and watch the colourful pageant around them in peace. It is this service that makes the cultural event a truly relaxing family outing.
The 8th year of Puppet Games in Tábor is not just a showcase of theatre companies, but a celebration of craft and human playfulness in the heart of South Bohemia. It is a unique opportunity to spend an afternoon in an environment where history meets fantasy. When was the last time you held a puppet yourself? What fairy tale would you like to tell your children today? Come and try it out - the puppets are waiting for you.
