Choo. Choo. Whistle. Woof!

Once upon a time, there was a boy dog. And, once upon a time, there was a girl dog. He spent his days guarding his garden, while she ran free on the other side of the fence until her owner called her home with a whistle.

And then it happened, as it often does, and not only in the lives of dogs: despite the high planks of the fence that kept them apart, these two slowly began to fancy one another. But she didn’t want to enter a strange garden and he couldn’t leave his backyard.

This non-verbal production is intended for the youngest audiences, rail enthusiasts and passionate dog lovers.

On a specially adapted stage, a large railway is gradually being built, as the story of a dog who must overcome his fear of the unknown to find his canine girlfriend unfolds. A great railway adventure awaits, along with new dog friends who will help him on his quest to find his true love.

Audience: children 2+

About the company

The Naive Theatre Liberec was established in 1949 as one of the first professional puppet theatres in former Czechoslovakia. While the theatre’s work has naturally pursued different directions, it has maintained its position with audiences and professionals as a high-quality Czech puppet theatre for the past 70 years.

The Naive Theatre Liberec currently works with a wide range of authors and directors. The programme focuses on the production of puppet or art performances for children and youth and also emphasises original, authorial work.

The theatre is now led by Kateřina Pavlů with artistic director Michaela Homolová, long a successful director at the Naive Theatre.

The Naive Theatre Liberec organises the Mateřinka International Festival, focusing on puppet performances for pre-school age children. The Mateřinka Festival has an almost 50-year tradition and is held as a biennale in the city of Liberec. It is well-known and appreciated for its quality throughout the puppetry world. It is the only international festival in Central Europe that focuses on puppet productions for pre-school children. The Naive Theatre Liberec is an active and proud member of UNIMA Czech and UNIMA International.

Awards

THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PROFESSIONALS PUPPET THEATRES MATEŘINKA 2019: Robert Smolík (scenography) Adam Kubišta, Filip Homola, Marek Sýkora and Antonín Týmal (collective acting) Vít Peřina (dramaturgy and authorship) Michaela Homolová (author’s contribution and direction). SPECTACULO INTERESSE 2019: Honorable mention for creating a theatrical world that is understandable and close to the smallest audience. ERIK AWARD (Czech Center UNIMA): for the most inspiring Czech puppet production of the 2018-2019 season. THEATER NEWSPAPER AWARD: for the creative work of the 2018/2019 season in the Puppet Art Theater category – Michaela Homolová for directing the production. CZECH THEATER CRITICS AWARD: for 2019 – nomination in the Scenography of the Year category (Robert Smolík).