Are you ready for the 45th PIF?

There are only a few more days before the highly regarded 45th International Festival of Puppet Theatre, Zagreb's PIF, kicks off in Zagreb. The abbreviation stands for the festival’s name in Esperanto - Pupteatra Internatia Festivalo. Between 4th and 9th September, some 15 puppet plays will be performed by artists from all over the world; there will be high-quality puppet workshops as well as a big exhibition “Polish Theatre Puppets”.

Puppeteers and theatre masters from the Czech Republic, Russia, Great Britain, Canada, other countries in the region and obviously, superb experts from Croatia, will take over Zagreb’s streets, squares and theatres between 4th and 9th September. They will gather for yet another edition of PIF – Pupteatra Internatia Festivalo, or the 45th International Festival of Puppet Theatre – for the benefit of those who do not speak Esperanto.

From the very outset, the festival has fostered all sorts of theatre genres and promoted a wide range of topics, which is why it has gained quite a reputation among puppeteers all over the world. This is best illustrated not only by the number of visiting theatres, but also by the number of those who come to enjoy the unique shows these theatres produce.

PIF's principal organizer is Zagreb's International Culture Centre (MCUK), and the plays will be performed at several locations in the city: the Zagreb Puppet Theatre, the MCUK Travno Stage and the Komedija Municipal Theatre. 
On the day of the official opening of the 45th PIF, a big exhibition of Polish Theatre Puppets will be opened in the MCUK gallery. On the following days the plateau in front of the famous Mammoth Building, the highest residential building in New Zagreb, and the Flower Square in the very city centre will come alive with performances of the UK's Konrad Fredericks' play “Punch and Judy” and “The Story Chest” by the Brazilian Troupe Companhia Opera Na Mala, respectively.

The official festival programme has been divided into two principal groups – plays for children and plays for adults. Both groups will have a share of traditional and experimental plays.

A play for audiences of all ages, Antologia by the Czech Black Light Theatre from Srnec, will officially open the festival. The second day is reserved for children's plays: “Neighbours” by the Puppet Theatre from Russian Krasnoyarsk, “The Orphan Circus” by the Canadian Theatre Les Sage Fous, and “The Good Doctor Aybolit” by Osijek's Children's Theatre Branko Mihaljević. On Thursday, the third day of the festival, the theatre programme will be enjoyed by adults and children over 12, as there are three shows on the repertoire: “Veli Jože” (Big Joseph) by the Rijeka Municipal Puppet Theatre, “Allegro Vivace” by the State Puppet Theatre from Bulgaria’s Varna, and “The Queen of Spades” by the Regional Puppet Theatre from Belarus' Grodno. 

Friday will be a day for mixed audiences who will enjoy the shows “The Story Chest” by the Brazilian Troupe Companhia Opera Na Mala, “How has Wind Come Down Among People” by the Municipal Puppet Theatre from Split, and “Romeo & Juliette” by the Puppet Theatre from Slovenia's Ljubljana.

Four plays will be shown on Saturday: “Stone by Stone”  by the Spanish El Teatre De L`Home Dibuixat, “The Story of the Seagull and the Gang of Tomcats” by the Puppet Theatre from Bulgarian Sofia, “When Schlemiel Went to Warsaw” by the Slovenian Puppet Theatre from Maribor, and “Punch and Judy in Afghanistan” by the Dutch Stuffed Puppet Theatre.
During the morning hours of the last festival day, the audience can look forward to the play “The Diabetic Sugar Bowl” performed by the Spanish Jordi Bertran Company, whereas the awards and the festival’s closing ceremony will be held in the MCUK Travno Scene at 8 P.M.