This September, the Alfa Theatre from Pilsen brought back four prizes, including the prize for the best performance of the festival, from the 56th PIF International Festival in Croatia. The production of The Good Hans Böhm’s Wandering through Europe, featuring actors with simple wooden puppets, also won the best director award for Alfa’s artistic director Tomsa Legierski, the best actor award for Daniel Horečný and the best set design award for guest director Karel Czech, director Jakub Hora told reporters today. The production, intended for audiences aged 12 and up, premiered online due to the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of theatres in 2021.

The play The Good Hans Böhm’s Wandering through Europe is inspired by the true story of a German young man from the small Sudeten village of Holýšov and his journey through wartime Central Europe. It took 1,5 years to create based on the true story of Hubert Ott. Hans Böhm spoke French, German and Czech at home, as his parents and maids came from different linguistic backgrounds. The play describes his journey through the war, when his quickness, ability to adapt quickly and his knowledge of languages saved his life.

The PIF Festival in Zagreb is one of the most important puppetry shows in Southeastern Europe. This year it was attended by troupes from 15 countries, including Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Austria, Israel and South Korea.

Source: divadlo.cz 
The Good Hans Böhm’s Wandering through Europe; photo: Alfa Theatre