Vojtina Puppet Theatre

János Arany’s thoughts on poetry in his poem Vojtina’s Ars Poetics (Vojtina ars poétikája) inspired the name of the Vojtina Puppet Ensemble in 1975, which was founded by the collective thinking and playfulness of eight young people.

The ensemble has been the professional puppet theatre of Debrecen since 1993, and in 2001 it moved to the renovated puppet theatre in the heart of the city, where it offers not only puppet theatre productions but also a play theatre and exhibitions. Hungarian folk tales form the backbone of the season’s programme, but they also include a selection of tales from other nations and the writings of great storytellers, and reinterpret old stories. Every season, 4-5 new performances are created. In each case, they strive to ensure that the underlying theme of the fairy tale speaks to today’s children, while the staging of the production is accessible to all ages.

Each theatre season is framed by a full-day opening event titled Lookee here at the Puppeteer! and a closing event, That’s All, Folks!, both outdoors. In winter they organize a week-long Masquerade, based on traditional medieval carnivals and Hungarian folklore customs (since 1998).

They play an important role in the sphere of arts and culture in both the city and the county, most specifically with regard to the artistic education of children aged 3-12.