This section provides you with the information on the most prominent actors in the vibrant field of puppetry which maintains a strong international presence. From the central puppet theatre in Slovenia to independent theatres and groups, from festivals to galleries and museums that feature Slovene puppetry heritage.
The Ljubljana Puppet Theatre (LPT) is the central puppet theatre in Slovenia, running a varied programme of puppet and also theatre performances. Mainly – though not exclusively – intended for children and youth, the theatre encompasses both traditional puppetry as well as its many contemporary forms. Involved in various international endeavours and working with domestic as well as foreign authors, its productions are often included at distinguished theatre and puppetry festivals in Slovenia and abroad. Established in 1948, it is still actively shaping the development of puppetry as such.
Puppet designer and puppeteer Silvan Omerzu, who studied fine arts in Ljubljana and then took up puppet design and set design for stages in Prague, established Konj ("Horse") Puppet Theatre in 1993. At the outset, he collaborated closely with Jan Zakonjšek in performances aimed at adult audiences as they were replete with macabre and obscene humour, oscillating between the noble and the grotesque, soapiness and aestheticism, the traditional and the contemporary. Since 2001, Omerzu continues with the performances based on carefully selected texts and innovative relationship between the puppet and its animator.