Białostocki Teatr Lalek
BTL (Białostocki Teatr Lalek), the legendary puppet theatre from Białystok went on a world-wide tour with performances for adult audiences. Showings of two plays were accompanied by an exhibition and a lecture on Polish and European puppet theatre history
The two plays performed in Kiev were "Façade" and "Valerie". Both plays as well as the exhibition took place at Kiev’s Academic Puppet Theatre, on the 13th and 14th of September, respectively. The lecture was held at the I.K. Karpieno-Karogo Theatre, Film and Television University.
"Façade"
A black comedy set in the scenery of a guesthouse run by a vengeful Old Landlady, the play had its premiere in April, 2007. As a baby, the Landlady was left on the doorstep of the guesthouse, and has lived there ever since. The baby’s hungry cry made the House take it in and care for it. With time, the House and the baby both aged and grew more greedy. The Landlady now rents apartments, attracting potential victims to satisfy the ever-growing appetite of the House.
The play is an original example of a modern show. The production combines excellent acting, true mastery of manipulating original puppets, live music with themes from Monteverdi's operas and pieces by Frédéric Chopin, Stanisław Moniuszko, with dance and vocal solo parts.
The play has been shown in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Belarus, Egypt, Croatia, Bulgaria, and numerous times in Russia. It has won awards for acting (2008 - Toruń, Poland), stage design (2009 - Cairo, 2010 - Zagreb), and musical performance (2010 - Zagreb).
Concept, direction, and puppets by: Duda Paiva (Holland)
In cooperation with: Paul Selwyn Norton (UK)
Vocal consultation: Augusto Valença (Brasil), Marek Kulikowski
Light direction: Hans C. Boer (Holland)
Production: BTL (Poland), Laswerk (Holland)
Cast: Alicja Bach, Zuzanna Gaińska, Grażyna Kozłowska, Barbara Muszyńska-Piecka, Iwona Szczęsna, Agnieszka Sobolewska, Jacek Dojlidko, Ryszard Doliński, Artur Dwulit, Mirosław Janczuk, Zbigniew Litwińczuk, Krzysztof Pilat, Paweł S. Szymański
Stage management: Mariusz Iwańczyk, Bogusław Kasperuk, Jerzy Miller
"Valérie"
Based on the writings of Vitězslav Nezval, the play premiered in January 2008. "Valérie" has an air of the extraordinary about it. It combines elements of fairy tales and Gothic stories, where poetic and nightmarish images interweave. It also conveys the rich variety of styles and possibilities within paper theatre, from early 19th century traditions to numerous contemporary varieties. The scenery and costumes are all made of paper. The play tells the story of an adolecent girl, her dreams, the development of her gender, and an extraordinary, surreal imagination. The show is immersed in a dreamy atmosphere, full of tension, controlled by demonic powers and lascivious instincts, a desire for beauty, youth and pleasure. The question of death is also present, a theme which is presented as equally close to the young and old.
The play has been shown in Russia, France and at numerous festivals in Poland. It won awards for best direction (2008 - Yekaterinburg, Russia), acting (2008 - Kielce, Poland), stage design (2009 - Warsaw, Poland), and music (2009 - Poznań, Poland).
Based on Vitězslav Nezval’s "Valérie ou la semaine des merveilles"
Adapted and directed by: Alain Lecucq (France)
Translated by: Barbara Grzegorzewska
Stage design: Andrzej Dworakowski
Music: Krzysztof Dzierma
Lighting: Bogusław Kasperuk
Cast: Agnieszka Sobolewska, Magdalena Czajkowska, Wiesław Czołpiński
Accordion: Robert Jurčo
For more information on BTL - Białostocki Teatr Lalek, see article: BTL Puppet Theatre
Date: 13th-14th of September, 2011
Venue: Kiev Academic Puppet Theatre, I.K. Karpieno-Karogo Theatre, Film and Television University, Kiev
Organised by: BTL Puppet Theatre
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute