Theatre Lele
LITHUANIA
“The Sandman” is a story about a young man lost between the worlds of fantasy and reality, about the soul dying of egoism, lack of faith, and doubt. Immersed in his dark visions and balancing on the brink of madness, the hero faces his inner self, the phantom of his personality. The performance takes the audience on a visual journey through the subconscious, through the labyrinths of imagination. The theme of dualism is what the performance mostly dwells upon, i.e. the duality of the human spirit, as well as that of the living and the lifeless, which is visually conveyed through the transformations of an actor and a puppet.
„I was tempted by Hoffmann’s tale as a very visual, multilayered piece of writing, which, although first appearing almost two hundred years ago, remains relevant today. For me it was extremely interesting to tell this story without words, concentrating on the visual and phonic plane: puppets, masks, images, dance and music,” says director Gintarė Radvilavičiūtė.
The production has been awarded the Golden Cross of the Stage award by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture for the best 2014 performance in the puppet and object theatre category.
Theatre Lele is settled in the former house of Duke Oginsky in the Old Town of Vilnius. Vilnius Puppet Theatre, the predecessor of today’s Lele, was established in 1958 by the puppeteer, actor and director Balys Lukosius.
The theatre stages Lithuanian and worldwide known fairy tales, as well as pieces of children’s literature and puppet plays for adult viewers. 12 professional actors/puppeteers are currently employed at Lele. Their performances have been awarded at many international puppet theatre festivals.
The team of Vilnius Theatre Lele does their best to keep the theatre open to not only the best traditions of children’s puppet theatre but also valuable trends of modern theatre.