Veszprém International Puppet Festival for Adults – A New Highlight on Kabóca’s and Puppetry’s Map

The artistic leadership of Kabóca believes that puppetry is not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, opening up new perspectives for its audience. The event aims to showcase the diversity and complexity of puppetry to adult audiences. The program’s curators – dramaturg Dr. Viktória Szántó and set designer Szilárd Boráros – have carefully selected the most innovative performances from both the domestic and international scenes. In addition to Hungarian artists, Slovenian, Polish, and Czech puppet theaters will also take the stage, ensuring a world-class experience.

However, the festival is not only about theatrical performances. Visitors can participate in roundtable discussions, exhibitions, and educational presentations that delve into the past, present, and future of puppetry.

On the opening day, February 7, the audience can enjoy unique productions such as Dancing Paintings I – A. Tóth Sándor, directed by Andrea Ladányi (recipient of the Liszt Ferenc, Harangozó Gyula, and Kossuth Prizes, and awarded the title of Meritorious Artist). This will be followed by Superheroes, performed by Grupa Coincidentia, a Polish-German co-production directed by one of today’s most acclaimed puppet theater creators, Michael Vogel. On February 8 and 9, alongside other Hungarian innovative productions, Slovenian and Czech performances will offer inspiring experiences. The diverse program lineup also aims to keep the spirit of Veszprém’s 2023 European Capital of Culture year alive.

The international professional jury will have a tough task on their hands as they will present four different awards during the festival’s closing ceremony on Sunday evening. Jury members include Vanessa Silvy from the French Institute in Paris; Pavel Hubička, director of the Divadlo Radost Theater in Brno; Kata Csató, director of Mesebolt Puppet Theater in Szombathely and president of UNIMA Hungary; Slovak theater director Ondrej Spišák; and Péter Muraközy, Deputy Mayor of Veszprém. In addition to recognizing the most outstanding creative works, the jury will also award the UNIMA Grand Prize, one of the highest accolades in both the Hungarian and international puppetry scenes.

The full program and further details can be found on the theater’s website. We warmly welcome everyone to Kabóca Puppet Theater, located in the heart of Veszprém, beneath the castle!

The festival’s professional partner is UNIMA, the International Puppetry Association. The event is supported by the Municipality of Veszprém, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, and the Waclaw Felczak Foundation.