Trefi Teataja

DAILY TREFF Thursday 24th of May 2012

TALLINN TREFF FESTIVAL 24.–27.05. 2012 Different cultures, one language

Don’t walk by Treff is here!

FEATURE Polina Borisova - woman and infinity

REVIEW Is it scary to dine with vampires?

NEWS Nocturnal animation in Old Town towers

www.nuku.ee/festival

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News

You never know whom you might meet at Treff

FOTO: TREFI FOTOGRAAF

Carefree Treff begins on the streets and indoors International festival of performing arts held for the sixth year speaks the language of theatre and fails to worry the organisers.

TAAVI EILAT The slogan for this year’s festival is “different cultures, one language“, which according to artistic director Vahur Keller is quite straightforward. “Performers with different mother tongues from all over the world meet in Tallinn, but the language they use here is the language of theatre,“ he says.

Kadri Kalda, a young actress in the Estonian Puppet Theatre said that after having visited different festivals in Europe, the format of Treff stands out to her. “Young artists are the centre of attention here, and they are given the opportunity to come forth and meet professionals of international acclaim, “ she adds.

A promising start According to the organisers, the festival boasts an impressive number of around thousand participants.

The four-day theatre festival brings together puppetry, word theatre, dance, street theatre, performance art, animation and music.

The festival opens today at 1 on Lai Street with “The Great Dance of the Rolls”, a joint action by theatre professionals and townspeople where everybody is invited to dance. To participate, all you need is two forks, two rolls and a little reminder of Charlie Chaplin’s movie “Gold Rush”, where this funny scene originates. “Unfortunately, I must admit this was not my idea and instead was proposed by our actors,” says Vahur Keller.

In addition to dance, the audience can see the exhibition “Penosil Art Foam Sculptures” on Lai Street, which continues the tradition of unprecedented art on the streets of Tallinn Old Town. This year the

cityscape will be enriched with eight three-dimensional graffiti statues.

This is a good start for a strong and varied programme. “For those who can be at the festival for four days I would recommend all performances on indoor stages, because they have been carefully chosen and are very professional.

Performances on the streets of Old Town are also worth seeing because if something is not to your liking you can simply go and see the next one,“ says Keller.

For those who are able to visit only one performance, the artistic director recommends “Love Dolls“

by Ljubljana Puppet Theatre.

Organisation is a shared effort When talking about the organisatorial aspects of Treff and what has changed since 2007, Keller mentions that the first festival was more specifically aimed at puppet theatre.

“We might jokingly say that the festival used to be more professional. Professionals came, put on a professional performance and left professionally. However, during the past four years youth programmes and street theatre have added an additional dimension to the festival, which undoubtedly complicates the organisation,“ says Keller.

However, the artistic director admits that there have been surprisingly few organisatorial problems. “I am already waiting for some problem to arise somewhere,” he adds.

One underlying reason for such a high level of professionalism might be the organisation team itself, which has remained largely unchanged over the years. “The main team consists of the employees of the Estonian Puppet Theatre. For example, I am normally its artistic director but during these four days I am the artistic director of Treff Festival,” says Keller.

News

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Moving pictures in the spring night As part of Tallinn Treff Festival the exclusive film programme “Night Cinema in the Old Town Towers“ offers a unique opportunity to see Polish and Scottish animations tonight in Köismäe Tower and the Tower behind Grusbecke.

MERETE VÄIN For many years the festival Animated Dreams has introduced international animation culture to Estonian audiences and in cooperation with the festival contemporary Polish animation arrives at Tallinn Treff Festival. In connection with the Polish presidency of the EU in 2011, the best of Polish animation chosen by the Polish Film Institute has already been seen by festival audiences all over the world.

Now it is Estonia’s turn - the programme consisting of around twenty works is brought to the audience in two parts and comprises animation pearls from the years 2005 to 2011. The audience can see films about loneliness and companionship, songs, reality and dreams, all in different genres from the well-established animation to fascinating animations using plasticine and three-dimensional com-

Polish animation has arrived at Treff puter technology. The Animated Films Programme will serve as a brief introduction to this year’s Animated Dreams, which takes place in November.

The second part of the Night Cinema offers an opportunity to see diploma works by the animation students of Edinburgh College of Art. Seven works by the future stars of Scottish animation, some of which have earned international

recognition, are brought to us by Simon Hart, the artistic director of Edinburgh Puppet Animation Festival.

The attention-grabber of the programme is undoubtedly the award-winning “The Making of Longbird“ (2011) by Will Anderson. It is a “behind-the-scenes” look at a filmmaker struggling to resurrect a century-old animation character – the mystical long bird

first created by the Russian filmmaker Vladislav Aleksandravich in 1911.

Although animation is more of a niche product in Estonia, within the context of Treff Festival the genres of visual and puppet theatre and animation are juxtaposed in an intriguing way. Puppets are by no means a novelty as film characters and theatre makes increasing use of film aesthetics and methods.

Fragile and sensitive theatre from Iisrael Through unique stage language young Israeli puppeteers want to open themselves to the audience and offer new perspectives on life and art.

TRIINU SIKK It is not the first time for The School of Visual Theatre from Israel to introduce their works at Treff.

This year the audience can see two minimalistic yet exceptionally sensitive performances towards the surrounding environment.

As the title reveals, “A Woman in Her Room“ is a story about a woman who carries her room with and inside her everywhere she goes. Depending on the peculiarities of the physical location, the puppeteer, who is as blind as the

Autobiographical “Traces” puppet, creates a new situation every time.

The author, director and performer Noam Sandel plays in slow motion, thus distancing himself from the surrounding environ-

ment. “This style of performing is fragile and allows me to pay attention to the smallest details,“ he says. Through his work he wants to reach to the bottom of how to perform through emotions and create

a new stage language regardless of physical location.

The play “Traces“ is an emotional and to some extent autobiographical narrative about a little girl in a kibbutz who finds it difficult to adjust to life in children’s communal dormitory. As the pressure of loneliness mounts, she decides to run away.

“Uncertainty about where I come from and where I want to be has always been a constant riddle for me,“ admits Moran Duvshandi, the author, director and one of the two actors in the performance.

“It was very important for me to keep the story simple and linguistically minimalistic. This allows me to achieve a deeper interaction between the storyline and the form in which it is presented.”

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Feature

Polina is ready for Treff

FOTO: MARIE KLIIMAN

Polina Borisova – woman Time and again we are faced with the question: what is puppetry? How to define its essence? And how it is connected to a young actress who comes from a puppet school in Charleville and stands on stage in front of the audience. By herself.

With herself. With pieces from us all.

DEIVI TUPPITS Polina Borisova was born in Omsk in Siberia into a family of puppeteers. It is therefore safe to say that puppetry is in her blood. In 2001 she graduated from St. Petersburg’s Academy of Theatre Arts where she majored in the creation of theatre puppets and set design.

It is noteworthy that her thesis was titled “Influence of Puppet Theatre on Children’s Mental Development”. She has also studied in National Superior School

of Puppet Arts in Charleville in France and currently resides in Toulouse where she works with various European theatres.

In 2010 she joined the Odarek and Pupella-Noguès Theatre Company for six months of professionalising companionship, which resulted in her solo performance “Go!”.

Definitions Polina defines puppet theatre as ANIMAtion art from the Latin term anima – soul. „Puppet theatre is a form of art that gives life to lifeless (inanimate) objects and this touches the souls of the audience,“ declares the actress.

Herself Polina does not want to define. “Every definition implies setting limits to oneself. However, there is one definition that I like – infinity (infinite).”

During her days at the academy Polina met a number of inspirational people, and it is undoubtedly

the actor’s task to observe and learn from the surrounding environment. Polina considers Valentina Hovraleva to be her greatest motivator during the St. Petersburg period. She is the great master of puppet design, whose passion to create profound, meaningful and interesting puppets took hold of Polina during her five years at the academy.

„Puppet theatre is a form of art that gives life to lifeless (inanimate) objects and this touches the souls of the audience” Although the artist from Siberia graduated from Charleville Puppet Arts School to become an actress, she admits that even now she follows the same passion – “the crea-

tion of a role is like building a new puppet inside me”. For Polina, the most difficult thing about acting is the necessity to find something unfamiliar, strange, obscure, and destabilising and then provoke herself to surpass it.

About losing memory When I ask Polina what her greatest fear with regards to theatre is, she answers, „It’s fairly typical – the fear of losing my memory on stage.“ Although its initial meaning implies forgetting one’s lines it seems that Polina’s wording is not accidental - memory and the emotional and experiential baggage are far more precious to an actor than mere words learnt by heart.

Theatre is in Polina’s blood and this shows from the thoroughly devoted way she talks about the soul of the theatre. However, if there was no theatre she would have studied something completely

Feature

Today and tomorrow

5

23.05.

T I ME

PE R FO R MANC E

T HE AT R E /T R O UPE

CO UNT RY

GE NR E

TAR GE T GR O UP

DUR AT I O N

S TAG E

20.00

DINNER WITH VAMPIRES

NUKU’s Variety Theatre

EST

puppet variety show

adults

3h

NUKU’s Main Hall

11.00

RAPUNZEL

NUKU’s Children Theatre

EST

puppetry

35’

NUKU ovaalsaal

12.00

COSETTE

NUKU’s Children Theatre

EST

drama/puppetry

children 7+

45’

Köismäe Tower

MUSICAL NOTES

La Compagnie des Quidams

FRA

street theatre

whole family

45’

Liberty Square

GREG

Turku Arts Acadmy

FIN

object theatre

whole family

10’

NUKU’s Main Hall gate

24.05.

12.30

children 4+

GORILLAPOLICE

Theatre Dirty Duckling

FIN

street theatre/puppetry

whole family

40’

Corner of Pikk and Nunne St.

DANCING MARKET

Estonina Arts Academy

EST

performance art

youth/adults

1h

Courtyard of the Museum of Applied Art and Design

…AND THE SUN GOES OUT

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

45 min

Courtyard of Estonian Theatre and Music Museum*

AU REVOIR, CHEVALERIE

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

45’

Kiek in de Kök*

A WOMAN IN HER ROOM

Shool of Visual Theatre

ISR

visual theatre

youth/adults

40’

Courtyard of the Great Guild

SHĀKE

Male actors of the NUKU Theatre

EST

performance art

youth/adults

10’

13.00

Goat Stage NUKU’s balcony and Goat Stage

OPENING OF TALLINN TREFF FESTIVAL

13.30

RAPUNZEL

NUKU’s Children Theatre

EST

puppetry

children 4+

35’

NUKU ovaalsaal

14.00

PETRUSHKA AT THE FAIR

Theatre Vagrant Booth

RUS

puppetry

whole family

45’

Hall of the Children’s Literature Centre

PERFORMANCE SKILLS WORKSHOP

Jim Barnard

GBR

workshop

adults

4h

NUKU’s Rehearsal Hall**

MUSICAL NOTES

La Compagnie des Quidams

FRA

street theatre

whole family

45’

Liberty Square

SWĪRL

Male actors of the NUKU Theatre

EST

performance art

youth/adults

10’

GREG

Turku Arts Acadmy

FIN

object theatre

whole family

10’

NUKU’s Main Hall gate

14.30

Goat Stage

A WOMAN IN HER ROOM

Shool of Visual Theatre

ISR

visual theatre

youth/adults

40’

Courtyard of the Great Guild

PETRUSHKA TEHCNIQUE

Aleksandr Gref

RUS

workshop

adults

50’

Hall of the Children’s Literature Centre**

GORILLAPOLICE

Theatre Dirty Duckling

FIN

street theatre/puppetry

whole family

40’

Corner of Pikk and Nunne St.

KĪCK

Male actors of the NUKU Theatre

EST

performance art

youth/adults

10’

Goat Stage

DANCING MARKET

Estonina Arts Academy

EST

performance art

youth/adults

1h

Courtyard of the Museum of Applied Art and Design

15.30

UEcommunity

Uebanda Balimba

EST

street music concert

whole family

30’

Goat Stage

16.00

GO!

Polina Borisova

FRA

puppetry

adults

45’

Small Hall of Tallinn City Theatre

PENITENCE AND ABSOLUTION

NUKU’ Small Hall

15.00

17.30

St Petersburg Grand Puppet Theatre

RUS

puppetry

adults

2h

GIZZELLE

Tallinn City Theatre

EST

dance

adults

1 h 40’

Horse Mill*

STRINDBERG, FREIER TANZ

Białystok Puppetry Faculty of A. Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy

PL

visual theatre

adults

25’+20’

NUKU’s Oval Hall

18.00

AU REVOIR, CHEVALERIE

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

45’

Kiek in de Kök*

19.00

164881

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

45’

Kiek in de Kök* Small Hall of Tallinn City Theatre

20.00

GO!

Polina Borisova

FRA

puppetry

adults

45’

PENITENCE AND ABSOLUTION

St Petersburg Grand Puppet Theatre

RUS

puppetry

adults

2h

NUKU’ Small Hall

20.30

STRINDBERG, FREIER TANZ

Białystok Puppetry Faculty of A. Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy

PL

visual theatre

adults

25’+20’

NUKU’s Oval Hall

21.30

DANCING ON THE RINGMUR

Gotland County Theatre and NUKU’s Youth Studio

SWEEST

dance

youth

35’

Goat Stage

22.00

LIFE IS GOOD WHERE THERE IS NO US

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

1h

St John the Baptist’s Hospital*

24.00

PEARLS OF CONTEMPORARY POLISH ANIMATION I

Polish School of Animation

PL

animated films

youth/adults

1h 10’

24.00

FILMS OF SCOTTISH ANIMATION STUDENTS

Edinburgh College of Art

GBR

animated films

youth/adults

55’

Tallinn Treff Festival’s exclusive midnight cinema programme in the Old Town towers in cooperation with festival Animated Dreams: Tower behind Grusbecke Tallinn Treff Festival 2012 | 3

Köismäe Tower

25.05.

Polina in “Go!”

FOTO: GIORGIO PUPELLA

and infinity different such as quantum physics or the language of manlike apes.

Little box “If you had one magical prop that you could use only once, what would it be and what would you use it for? “ I ask Polina. “It would be an old little box of theatre make-up powder with a soft little puff in it,” she answers. “Its magical power would be that if you blow on

it, it will turn you into whatever or whoever you wish. I would keep it until I become old and tired of living so that I could simply and joyfully disappear and turn into a flower on a meadow or lunar dust or wallpaper...”

Fifteen years from now Polina sees herself walking down a sunny boulevard, observing people and smiling.

“Go!” (today at 16 and 20, Small Hall of Tallinn City Theatre) Inspired by the simplicity with which extraordinary people (be it a great artist or a granny next door) can leave us, and based on numerous travel notes I have scribbled over the years, this show tells about the loneliness of those who travel in memories.

An old woman wanders in the dark of her apartment. Between islands of light, she finds pieces of objects, memories and lives that she assembles together with masking tape. Perhaps this old woman is a future me, and perhaps what she remembers is what I will live. It is my life, partly lived and partly imagined. A life that was, blended with other lives, those of my family, my teachers, people I admired, people I loved, those who have gone before me.

Director, Set Designer and Performer: Polina Borisova Co-production with: Odradek/Cie Pupella Nogues, Centre de Création et de Développement pour les Arts de la Marionnette

TIME

P E R F O R MA N C E

T H E AT R E / T R O U P E

CO U N T RY

GENRE

TA R G E T G R O U P

D U R AT I O N

S TAG E

11.00

POTPOTPOT

Theatre Mud Pants Giraffe

FIN

object theatre

children 1–4

30’

Hall of the Children’s Literature Centre

12.00

Puppet Theatre El Retablo

ESP

object theatre

children 3–6

45’

NUKU’s Main Hall

HOMS FUMS

Compagnie Ecart

FRA

street theatre

whole family

45’

NUKU’s staff entrance

MASKS

Białystok Puppetry Faculty of A. Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy

PL

mask theatre

whole family

20’

NUKU’s Main Hall gate

TIGER ON LOOSE!

Turku Arts Academy

FIN

puppetry

whole family

15’

Corner of Pikk and Nunne St.

12.30

THE CLOWNERY

Yaroslavl State Theatre Institute

RUS

clownery

whole family

40’

Courtyard of the Great Guild

13.00

COSETTE

NUKU’s Children Theatre

EST

drama/puppetry

children 7+

45’

Köismäe Tower

THE BUBBLES

The Kharkov State Kotlyarevsky University of Arts

UKR

object theatre

whole family

30’

Seaplane Harbour

13.30

14.00

14.30

15.00

16.00

ANIMALS

CIRCUS

Free Flow Studio

EST

dance

whole family

15’

Goat Stage

UGLY DUCKLING IS NOT DEAD

Joint troupe of the sorority Indla and fraternity Fraternitas Estica of the University of Tartu

EST

drama

youth/adults

10’

Corner of Hobusepea and Lai St.

PUPI PIPA PUPI

Company Degam of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre

LIT

pantomime

whole family

1h

Courtyard of the Museum of Applied Art and Design

TIGER ON LOOSE!

Turku Arts Academy

FIN

puppetry

whole family

15’

Corner of Pikk and Nunne St.

EUSTACH AND THE INSECT

Helena Skovierova

SVK

puppetry

whole family

30’

Courtyard of the Great Guild

UGLY DUCKLING IS NOT DEAD

Joint troupe of the sorority Indla and fraternity Fraternitas Estica of the University of Tartu

EST

drama

youth/adults

10’

Börsi Passage

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE

Rakvere Youth Acting Troupe

EST

drama

youth, adults

1h

Courtyard of the Children’s Literature Centre

FEST-SHOP: A WINDOW TO THE WORLD

Meeting hour with the world theatre festivals’ organisers

conversation

adults

1h

NUKU’s Oval Hall

MASKS

Białystok Puppetry Faculty of A. Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy

PL

mask theatre

whole family

20’

NUKU’s Main Hall gate

UGLY DUCKLING IS NOT DEAD

Joint troupe of the sorority Indla and fraternity Fraternitas Estica of the University of Tartu

EST

drama

youth/adults

10’

NUKU’s staff entrance

THE CLOWNERY

Yaroslavl State Theatre Institute

RUS

clownery

whole family

40’

Courtyard of the Great Guild

UEcommunity

Uebanda Balimba

EST

street music concert

whole family

30’

Goat Stage

…AND THE SUN GOES OUT

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

45 min

Courtyard of Estonian Theatre and Music Museum*

PETRUSHKA AT THE FAIR

Theatre Vagrant Booth

RUS

puppetry

whole family

1 h 30’

Goat Stage

KOMMANDOPIECE AKA SPACE INVADERS

Dance Department of Theatre Academy Helsinki

FIN

dance

youth/adults

1h

Festival Club

PUPI PIPA PUPI

Company Degam of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre

LIT

pantomime

whole family

1h

Courtyard of the Museum of Applied Art and Design

THE BUBBLES

The Kharkov State Kotlyarevsky University of Arts

UKR

object theatre

whole family

30’

Seaplane Harbour

EUSTACH AND THE INSECT

Helena Skovierova

SVK

puppetry

whole family

30’

Courtyard of the Great Guild

DIE-CUT SCRAP

Theatre Dirty Duckling

FIN

puppetry

adults

50’

NUKU’s Small Hall Heaven Stage of Tallinn City Theatre

LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER

Turku Arts Academy

FIN

puppetry

youth/adults

45’

BACHINI

Ensembles Camerata Vocale and Gambare

EST

concert

adults

1h

Ukrainian Church

Dance Department of Tallinn University Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

dance

youth/adults

25’

Von Krahl Theatre Estonian Museum of Music and Theatre*

17.00

HOPE

SAVE MAGDALEN

drama

youth/adults

1h

17.30

VOICE IMPROVISERS

ImproChoir

EST

concert

adults

15’

18.00

TRACES

School of Visual Theatre

EST

ISR

visual theatre

adults

20’

NUKU’s Oval Hall

19.00

TRACES

School of Visual Theatre

ISR

visual theatre

adults

20’

NUKU’s Oval Hall

164881

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

45’

Kiek in de Kök*

19.30

VOICE IMPROVISERS

ImproChoir

EST

concert

adults

15’

NUKU’s foyer

20.00

DIE-CUT SCRAP

Theatre Dirty Duckling

FIN

puppetry

adults

50’

NUKU’s Small Hall

GOING, GOING… GONE!

Theatre Taptoe

BEL

puppetry

adults

1 h 10’

Small Hall of Tallinn City Theatre

THE SHADOW

Dance Department of Tallinn University and Russian Theatre School

EST

dance

youth/adults

1h

EST

physical theatre

youth

30’

NUKU’s Oval Hall

Tallinn Treff Festival 2012 | 4

NUKU’s foyer

Von Krahl Theatre

20.30

PUNG

Dreek Studio

22.00

LIFE IS GOOD WHERE THERE IS NO US

Viljandi Culture Academy of Tartu University

EST

drama

youth/adults

1h

St John the Baptist’s Hospital*

ENGLISH BREAKFAST

Turku Arts Academy

FIN

object theatre

adults

25’

Goat Stage

Tallinn Treff Festival’s exclusive midnight theatre programme: 24.00

WILD GROWLING HAPPINESS

NUKU Theatre

EST

TIME

P E R F O R MA N C E

T H E AT R E / T R O U P E

CO U N T RY

visual theatre

youth 10+

1 h 20’

NUKU’s Small Hall

GENRE

TA R G E T G R O U P

D U R AT I O N

S TAG E

26.05.

6

News

Performing arts from Poland in “Masks”

Two sides of the International Performing Arts Students Programme Treff’s International Performing Arts Students Programme includes theatre students from six different countries. The programme is diverse and especially interesting for Estonian audiences, because currently there are no schools here which teach puppet theatre as a degree.

MARIE KLIIMAN According to Kadri Kalda, the foreign programme coordinator and alumna of Turku puppet department, the aim of the street programme is to show how ingenious simplicity is. Both sketches and full-length plays are performed on the streets with minimal resources.

The second part of the programme takes place indoors and the key word in putting this together has been diversity.

Our own Finland

The Puppetry Department of Turku Arts Academy is probably the best known in Treff ’s International Students Programme. This is largely due to six young puppeteers who graduated from Turku Academy in 2011.

Despite there being no Estonians currently studying there, the greatest number of performances still comes from Turku.

Five different plays/etudes are performed on the streets, and “Like a Fish Out of Water”, a political performance by the young director Perrine Ferrafiati takes place on the Heaven Stage of Tallinn City Theatre.

The second representative of Finland is the Department of Dance of Helsinki Theatre Academy with its performance “Kommandopiece aka Space Invaders”, which deals with the themes of ruling and conquering.

Quality from Israel At Treff, the performances by the Israeli School of Visual Theatre have become a quality mark and

are anticipated by the annual festival visitors.

The Visual Theatre comes to Treff with two performances.

Noam Sandel’s staging “A Woman in Her Room” plays with the phrases “person in the room” and “room in the person”.

Moran Duvshan’s “Traces” uses paper to create the world. In a two-dimensional world a little girl tries to find her way and re-assemble herself from pieces. In the background of this sweet wandering story is the experience from Israeli communes and communal child-care system.

Three shows from Poland Poland with its long puppet theatre tradition is represented by Warsaw Theatre Academy’s Puppetry Theatre Faculty. In that faculty, located in Bialystok, it is possible to obtain a Master’s degree in both puppet acting and stage directing.

The theatre school gives three performances: indoors”, the gro-

tesque visual theatre “Strindberg” and Mary Wingman’s „free dance“ inspired “Freier Tanz” are performed, and “Masks” can be seen at the gates of the Estonian Puppet Theatre.

Also on streets Around Lai Street, it is also possible to meet theatre students from Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania.

Yaroslavl State Theatre Institute performs “The Clownery”, which contains etudes both from classical clownery and etudes based on improvisation.

With its performance of object theatre “The Bubbles” Kharkiv State University of Arts promises to take the viewer to the carefree and unusual childhood world.

The theatre group Degam From Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre performs a pantomime “Pupi Pipa Pupi” for the whole family, which shows the audience an action tale of toys.

Review

7

“Dinner with Vampires“ is playing with clichés For the variety show “Dinner with Vampires“ the Main Hall of the Estonian Puppet Theatre has been transformed into a restaurant complete with pale vampire waitresses, mellow music and elegant diners. This vampire variety show is perfect for seeing with friends, in order to exchange opinions between numerous stage numbers and alluring gourmet experiences.

MARIE KLIIMAN The puppet variety show “Dinner with Vampires“ was the opening performance of Tallinn Treff Festival. After the opening speech by Meelis Pai and Vahur Keller, there was a quick workshop of “The Great Dance of the Rolls“, led by the young actors of the Estonian Puppet Theatre.

The foreign audience sitting on the ground floor could be seen practising enthusiastically for the roll dance, but the audience sitting on the balcony took some more time to warm up (oh those slow Estonians). For the numerous foreign guests the actors occasionally translated and commented on the action on stage.

“Dinner with Vampires“ makes use of various styles of puppet theatre and thus introduces the many possibilities to the audience, who might not happen to see a puppet show very often. The performance included magic tricks, shadow theatre, acrobatics, dance and so forth.

In the performance grotesque cabaret numbers by human-led puppets alternate with the „helpless hosting“ by the Master of Ceremonies (Riho Rosberg) of the vampire variety. The smooth and tasteful numbers he has planned are interrupted by a wandering Finn, later his mother, a waiter who tends to throw somersaults

“Dinner with Vampires” was the opening performance of Treff instead of pouring wine and bats hanging from the ceiling. The bats, played by Vahur Keller and Anti Kobin steal the show. Their humour is somewhat vulgar but at the same time sharp and topical and both the Eurovision Song Contest and celebrities who have come to see the show get their share.

The dialogue runs smoothly and clichés are over the top in this highly entertaining vampire show by Vahur Keller and Andres Roosileht. Between the various individual performances there developed a classic love story on

stage. Additionally, the audience could see a vampire wedding and the wandering Finn was welcomed into the happy family of vampires. Famous pop songs are sung, the can-can and pole dance is danced.

The play ends with the mother of all clichés – to celebrate the happy ending a bottle of champagne is popped open and the glasses clink together.

However, grotesque puppet-humans and other elements of puppet theatre transform make these clichés look playful without making them look worn out. The most

FOTO: JANA JUUR

memorable parts were undoubtedly those fantastic moments where imagination has run wild, such as the dance of human-legged coffins or beat-boxing sheep.

Warning: food aromas and the sound of clinking cutlery might make your mouth water! It is advisable to see the play together with the three-course meal.

8

Practise some Estonian!

Horoskoop

Festivali klubi juht annab aru

Kõik sinu päevast saab öeldud mõne sõnaga:

Ahoi!

Nagu ikka lubame väga meeleolukat programmi ja mõnusat äraolemist!

Disko on ka ja seekord sokkides tantsima ei pea - kuigi ruum on sama!

Klubitelk on sel aastal suurem, lava on sel aastal suurem! Muudatuseks on veel see, et lava on keeratud teistpidi ja seega on ka kogu GAG`i võimla hoovi tagumine osa avatud kasutamiseks!

Meie eesmärgiks on olnud alati pakkuda inimestele võimalust mõnusaks äraolemiseks! Klubi on alati olnud üks Treffi tunnusmärke! Anname endast parima, et inimestel oleks mugav ja hea olla! Et kõik külalised tunneksid, et nad on sellele festivalile väga oodatud! Oleme alati pakkunud palju hääd muusikat, kontserdid klubis igal õhtul, nii ka sel aastal!

Esinemas saab näha vanu tuttavaid ja ka uusi tulijaid! Oleme eeskätt pakkunud võimaluse noortele andekatele muusikutele....

Kohal on ka Anneliis Kits, kes on juba omamoodi klubi firmamärgiks saanud!

Klubisse ei tohi tulla halva tujuga ja kurjade mõtetega! Klubisse ei tohi tulla oma alkoholiga! Loodame väga inimeste mõistlikkusele ja heatahtlikkusele!

Elagu Treff!

Ikka hääd, Taavi (Tõnisson)

Jäär Täna näed sa palju häid etendusi.

Sõnn Riisud täna koore kõigelt, mida näed.

Kaksikud Sul on kõigest ükskõik.

Vaid armastust tahaks rohkem.

Vähk Kui vaatad ringi siis näed teatrit.

Lõvi Ilmselt treffad sa täna palju, kuid ära karda, see on hea.

Neitsi Pane leht käest, pööra paremale ja mine.

Kaalud Inimesed su ümber on õnnelikud, ole ise ka.

Skorpion Mis täna vaja teha, seda teegi täna. See on sinu päev.

Ambur Oled täna väga terane.

Usu endasse.

Kaljukits Täna pead kindlasti klubisse minema.

Veevalaja Ole valmis, et täna on kõik nii nagu tavaliselt.

Kalad Keegi ei lähe sinu eest teatrisse.

Treff toimub ka sotsiaalmeedias

Joonista päevast:

siia

esimesest

Ilm “Meil on igal aastal kokku lepitud kõrgemate instantsidega, et vihma ei saja. Siiani on nad oma lubadust pidanud. Ma arvan, et ka tänavu läheb nii. “

Kuklitants on selge?

Veel jõuad õppida.

- Vahur Keller, Trefi kunstiline juht

TALLINN TREFF FESTIVAL 24.–27.05.

Palju kultuure, üks keel!

Festivali klubis täna: (sissepääs vaid passi või kaelakaardiga)

FESTIVALI KLUBI AJAKAVA (sissepääs ainult festivali kaelakaardi või passi ettenäitamisel)

Toimetus: Peatoimetaja: Taavi Eilat Reporterid/kriitikud: Marie Kliiman, Liisi Aibel, Triinu Sikk, Liisa Ojakõiv, Piamaria Uuetoa, Merete Väin, Deivi Tuppits, Mari Mets, Annika Andresen Tõlkijad: Kristiina Kõrvas, Astrid Pajur

24.05.

19.30 21.00

Ukerdajad Sibyl Vane

22.00

Turki Piipl

23.00–02.00

Disko ja teatraalsed plaadikeerutajad GAG-i saalis

25.05.

18.00

Rebecca Kontuse sooloalbumi „Flâneur” esitluskontsert

21.00

Liqui Fuzz