John the valiant, Vaskakas Puppet Theatre, Győr, Hungary (2015)
Tamás Somogyi commissioned me because he wanted to bring a new and youthful approach to Petőfi’s classic play. The characters came alive over five months of sketching and design and six months of construction. The small stage required a very compact but versatile set that could accommodate a variety of scenes. The centerpiece was a three-metre tall clock which showed the inner spur wheels on two sides. The rusty clock represented two worlds: a real world and an otherworldly one, where magical scenes happened. Together, the two made up a clear, coherent theatre set. The different parts of the set were interconnected and could be rolled in or out, so that all parts could be synchronised or stand alone as required. Both the set and the puppets were made of different kinds of recycled metal. They were solid and durable but could also, in the case of puppets that performers had to carry for 40 minutes or more, be lightweight.
Based on the Sándor Petőfi’s poem of the same title, John the Valiant was adapted to stage by: Balázs Perényi,
Music: Zoltán Krulik, Designer: Ottó Szabó, Propmakers : Ottó Szabó, Pál Szabó, Árpád Aubert-Gamus, Director: Tamás Somogyi
Music: Zoltán Krulik, Designer: Ottó Szabó, Propmakers : Ottó Szabó, Pál Szabó, Árpád Aubert-Gamus, Director: Tamás Somogyi








