Although the city museum is once again a cooperation partner at this year’s edition of the Cuckoo Theater Festival for beginners, as is the Schauburg and the Protestant family educational center Elly Heuss-Knapp (“Elly”), it is not a venue for the first time due to the renovation. “We have decided to make a virtue out of necessity and take the festival to other parts of the city,” says Eva Berger from the Puppetry Collection. The HochX and the Gasteig HP8 come into play as stages – “and advance sales are fortunately continuing to be high at the new locations,” says Berger. The demand for theatrical offerings for the very youngest is particularly high in Munich – and the available ticket contingents are quickly sold up due to the limited number of spectators.
From March 12th to 22nd, nine national and international productions will be shown for the very youngest children from two years old. They can do it right away Opening track “Impulz” take control in the Schauburg and set the dancer from Antwerp in motion at the push of a button.
Berger has the piece “The Impossible Sun” particularly impressed, which is being performed at HochX. The ensemble from Belgium plays on a miniature wooden stage, “they even bring their own seats that are lined up like a grandstand,” says Berger. In the piece, one morning the sun no longer rises round, but as a square. The animals, including foxes and penguins, argue with each other about whether they are for or against this “new sun”: Does it even have to be round? Maybe the square shape is better? “The piece is aimed at children from the age of four, which experience shows is the age at which exactly such questions are asked,” says Berger.
In the miniature theater, “The Impossible Sun” suddenly rises squarely – the paper animals first have to discuss whether that’s a good thing.
(Photo: Olmo Peeters)
The two players from Tübingen, who use the “Elly” for their game, are also experimenting with shapes and a malleable material “Stories from the lump of mud” take advantage of the versatility of sound.
The actresses from Theater Gobelin & Theater Papilio from Tübingen use the versatility of sound to tell their “stories from the lump of mud”.
(Photo: Richard D. Dvorak/[email protected])
The young Nigerian theater group Kininso Koncepts has chosen a material that is certainly one of many children’s favorite toys Piece “Sandscape” (Sandland) chosen: They perform a rhythmic and musical game in the Schauburg with lots of sand, which does not require any words and ends in a dance with the audience. “It was a really great project, even though it wasn’t that easy to bring the African players here because of the visas,” says Berger. Other cities like Marburg and Düsseldorf took part, and a small tour came together.
The Nigerian theater group Kininso Koncepts performs a rhythmic and musical game with lots of sand in “Sandscape”.
(Photo: Blessing Okunlola/Kininso Koncepts)
From very far away back to the “Smallest Stage in the World” in Munich. Hedwig Rost invites you to a German-Ukrainian fairy tale hour with the story of the Gasteig HP8 “Lost Glove”, which tells of solidarity in difficult times: There is a mitten in the snow, into which first a mouse and then more and more animals move in – because there is space in the smallest hut. But what if the owner finds his glove again?
A lost glove offers shelter for all kinds of animals in Hedwig Rost’s German-Ukrainian fairy tale hour.
(Photo: The smallest stage in the world/Munich)
Finally, some encouraging news: Even though many performances are currently sold out, it’s worth calling the respective venues on the day of the event. “Especially with the little ones of daycare age, there are more frequent cancellations at short notice and suddenly there are places available again,” says Berger.
Kuckuck – Theater Festival for Beginners 2024, March 12th to 22nd, various venues, program below www.kuckuckfestival.com