View source for Ljubljana Puppet Theatre

{{Article
| status       = NIFERTIK PHOTO
| maintainer   = Katja Kosi
}}
{{Infobox
| name                = Ljubljana Puppet Theatre
| local name          = Lutkovno gledališče Ljubljana
| logo                = Ljubljana Puppet Theatre (logo).svg
| street              = Krekov trg 2
| town                = SI-1000 Ljubljana
| map                 = http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lon=14.51025&lat=46.05023&zoom=17&layer=mapnik
| telephone           = 386 (0) 1 300 0970
| fax                 = 386 (0) 1 300 0980
| email               = info@lgl.si
| website             = http://www.lgl.si/
| founded by          = Municipality of Ljubljana 
| contacts = {{Contact
| name                = Uroš Korenčan
| role                = Director
| telephone           = 
| email               = uros.korencan@lgl.si
}}
{{Contact
| name                = Mare Bulc
| role                = Artistic Director
| email               = Mare Bulc@lgl.si
| telephone           = 
}}
{{Contact
| name                = Petra Škofic
| role                = Public relations
| email               = petra.skofic@lgl.si
| telephone           = 386 (0) 1 548 45 43
}}
|accounts=
http://twitter.com/Lutkovno
https://www.facebook.com/LutkovnoGledalisceLjubljana
http://www.youtube.com/user/LutkovnoGledalisceLj
http://vimeo.com/ljubljanapuppettheatre
https://www.instagram.com/lutkovno_gledalisce_ljubljana/
http://lutkovnogledalisceljubljana.tumblr.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/lutkovno/
}}

{{Teaser|

{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2012 01.jpg}}

The [[Ljubljana Puppet Theatre]] (LPT) is the central puppet theatre in Slovenia, running a varied programme of puppet and also theatre performances. Mainly &ndash; though not exclusively &ndash; 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 [[established::1948]], it is still actively shaping the development of puppetry as such. 

The theatre organises the [[Biennial Festival of the Contemporary Puppetry Art LUTKE]] and co-produces the [[Golden Stick Festival]], both taking place every second year. The [[Museum of Puppetry]], another project co-founded by the theatre, opened its doors in 2015 and is stationed at the [[Ljubljana Castle]]. 
}}
{{TeaserSlo|Lutkovno Gledališče Ljubljana je osrednje lutkovno gledališče v Sloveniji, ki izvaja pester program lutkovnih in občasno tudi gledaliških predstav.}}

{{Vimeo|195164994}}

==Background and notable performances==

Established as the ''City Puppet Theatre'', LPT emerged as a follow-up to numerous semi-professional puppet groups organised in the region since the beginning of the 20th century. The theatre fast developed its own mode of expression and soon became the leading puppet theatre in the then Yugoslavia. At first, the performances were based on the marionette technique, but later it also got engaged in the possibilities of hand puppetry. However, from the 1970s onward the theatre has been consistently trying to advance the technological and dramatic possibilities of puppetry, cultivating a captivating mixture of classical contents and experimentation. 

Though it initially focused on works by Slovene authors, the theatre's most important early performances were adaptations of foreign works. One such production is the ''Žogica Marogica'' (Speckles the Ball), written by the Czech puppeteer Jan Malik, which remains unchanged in the repertoire ever since its première in 1951. Another timeless hit appears to be the  ''Zvezdica zaspanka'' (Twinkle Sleepyhead), written by [[Frane Milčinski - Ježek]] and in the repertoire since 1955. It was followed by the eponymous film, the first Yugoslav colour marionette film, which greatly contributed to its huge success. 

''Doktor Faust'' (Doctor Faustus) is based on the motifs from the first Slovene production of the play (1938) by [[Milan Klemenčič]], the founder of Slovene puppetry, after whom the most prominent Slovene award for achievement in puppetry is named (the [[Klemenčič Award]]). The slightly refreshed performance still uses puppets from the original staging. 


{{Wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2003 Zogica Marogica.jpg}} 


==Programme==

The repertory programme of the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre is divided into two segments: puppet performances and drama performances, with about twelve premières annually. The programme includes stagings of classical works, performances based on fresh texts by emerging as well as established Slovene authors ([[Svetlana Makarovič]], [[Boris A. Novak]], [[Anja Štefan]] and [[Silvan Omerzu]] among the more prominent ones), works by international authors as well as original, often multimedia performances. LPT collaborates with Slovene and international directors specialised in puppetry as well as theatre directors and even choreographers. 

The theatre cultivates all the main puppetry genres (marionette, hand puppets, Javanese puppets, shadow puppets, mimic puppets) and also develops new ones. It also preserves more than 2000 puppets from past performances. It keeps an important collection relating to the Slovene puppetry heritage &ndash; see the [[Ljubljana Puppet Theatre Museum Collection]], now partly incorporated into the [[Museum of Puppetry]]. 


{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2017 Virginija Volk.jpg}}


Besides its regular performances, the theatre runs the [[Biennial Festival of the Contemporary Puppetry Art LUTKE]] and co-produces the [[Golden Stick Festival]]. Productions of Ljubljana Puppet Theatre are active on international stages and also often awarded. The theatre organises puppetry workshops and generally devotes a lot of attention to various educational activities through which it wishes to advance the art of puppetry. To this end, it systemically collaborates with schools across Slovenia. 


{{Wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2005 Doktor Faust.jpg}}


The theatre is a member of the International Puppetry Association [[International Union of the Marionette (UNIMA), Slovenia|UNIMA]], the first congress of which was held in Ljubljana in 1933, and then repeated in 1992 again (the [[Biennial Festival of the Contemporary Puppetry Art LUTKE|Lutke]] festival was initiated on that occasion). It is also a member of ASSITEJ, the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People; Small Size, the international association focused on productions for early years (under six years of age); and is one of the founding members of NEECPA, a network of puppet centres joining primarily the key players from Scandinavia, the Baltic region and Russia.


{{Wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2009 Love dolls.jpg}}
== Venues ==

* Large hall, 253 seats total.

{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2010 Large hall 01.jpg}}

* Small Hall, 100 seats total.

{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2010 Small Hall 01.jpg}}

* Stage Under the Stars, 300 seats total.

{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2010 Stage Under the Stars 01.jpg}}

* Culturoom, 70 seats total. 

{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2010 Culturoom 02.jpg}}

* Tunnel
{{wide image|Ljubljana Puppet Theatre 2010 Tunnel 02.jpg}}

== See also ==
* [[Biennial Festival of the Contemporary Puppetry Art LUTKE]]
* [[Golden Stick Festival]]

* [[Museum of Puppetry]]
* [[Ljubljana Puppet Theatre Museum Collection]]

* [[International Union of the Marionette (UNIMA), Slovenia]]

==External links==
* [http://www.lgl.si/en/ Ljubljana Puppet Theatre website] 
* [http://www.dlib.si/v2/Details.aspx?URN=URN:NBN:SI:DOC-QZNDIYPU Digitalised almanac ''Po stopinjah lesene Talije, 60 let Lutkovnega gledališča Ljubljana''] (in Slovenian)
*[http://www.lgl.si/en/theatre/zgodovina A short history of Slovene puppetry, LPT web page]
* [http://www.theatre-architecture.eu/en/db/?theatreId=278 Ljubljana Puppet Theatre architecture] - the history of the building from the ''Theatre Architecture in Central Europe'' web database
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C-Ma3ebR2s ''Twinkle Sleepyhead'', a reconstruction of the 1955 puppetry performance], video 

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