Schwanen - Puppet Theatre (Almost) Without Words

Puppet theatre (almost) without words

Loosely based on H. C. Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling"
For all ages from 4 years
Direction, puppets and performance: Eva Sotriffer
Music: Max Castlunger

Too big, too long, too thin, too wobbly, too grey, too slow, too clumsy! Why am I different from everyone else? The little duckling has no luck. It bumps into things everywhere, fits in nowhere, and yes - it's ugly, plain and simple. Even as an egg it looked nothing like the others. So the duckling stumbles from one awkward situation to the next, encountering loneliness, exclusion, rejection and more than a little cruelty. But then something stirs inside it. Where did that wing suddenly come from?

Drawing on Hans Christian Andersen's beloved fairy tale, "Schwanen" questions what we mean by "beautiful" and "ugly" - and why it is so hard to see ourselves as we truly are.

Eva Sotriffer has been a puppet performer, puppet maker and author of her own pieces since 2010. Her work is mostly nonverbal, but never without music.

Photo © Mareycke Frehner