Speckles the Ball 3+

Jan Malík / Restaging of the performance from 1994, directed by Tine Varl and using puppets by Anton Jezovšek / 45 min

Granny and Grandpa have been living alone for a long time, and would very much like to have a boy or a girl to keep them company. Suddenly, through the window, in flies a ball who speaks! She is hungry, so Granny and Grandpa hurry off to get her some milk. When Speckles is left alone, Brigand the dragon notices her through the open window. He invites her to go with him so that his little dragons could play with her. Speckles is hesitant at first, but when she accidentally breaks a small pot, she quickly grabs onto the dragon's tail, and off they fly. Sad Granny and Grandpa go looking for her, ask around everywhere, until they hear a faint sound at the end of town, up on a high pole … With the help of children, they blow off the evil dragons and save Speckles the Ball.

Jan Malík's Speckles the Ball from 1994, directed by Tine Varl and using beautiful original puppets by Anton Jezovšek. Speckles the Ball remains one of the most popular performances at the LGM ever since its premiere in 1985. Since then, it was staged more than 550 times. We would like to know how it is received by our audience, how much it changed during these years (1985–1994–2014), how much magic remains in the dragon's puffing … And we will sing along, nostalgia in our voice, with Granny and Granddad.

Gallery

Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah</em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah
Speckles the Ball <em>Photo: Boštjan Lah </em>
Speckles the Ball Photo: Boštjan Lah

Crew and cast

First premiere 20th November 1985 (under the title Žogica Nogica)
Director and visual designer Bojan Čebulj


Director Tine Varl
Project manager for the revival of the performance Danilo Trstenjak


Performers
Grandpa Miha Bezeljak 2014 | Maksimiljan Dajčman 1994
Granny Barbara Jamšek / Dunja Zupanec 2014 | Petra Caserman 1994
Brigand the Dragon, the eldest Dragon, Policeman, Pump Attendant, Last-born the Dog Danilo Trstenjak 2014 and 1994
Speckles the Ball, Soldier, Clumsy the Scarecrow, Kinglet the Bird, the middle Dragon, and the youngest Dragon Metka Jurc / Vesna Vončina / Elena Volpi 2014 | Karla Godič 1994


Puppet designer Anton Jezovšek
Alternation of puppets, designer of bird, dog and ball puppets Zdeněk Bauer
Author of the leitmotiv Bojan Adamič
Author of the arrangements and other audio material Boris Rošker
Speech advisor Metka Damjan
Lighting designer Miljenko Knezoci
Sound designer Marko Jakopanec
Puppet technologists, puppet, set and costume production Mirko Černic, Miljenko Knezoci, Slavko Rakuša and Breda Varl 1994 | Branko Caserman, Lucijan Jošt, Primož Mihevc, Darka Erdelji, Mojca Bernjak and Milan Borovič 2014


Premiere 18. March 1994
Revival of the performance 9. August 2014


Premiere — 9. August 2014

On tour abroad

19. February 2017
Trieste, Italy