A magical first theatre experience awaits! Join us for Mont St. Gumboot – a nonverbal journey full of colors, sounds, and wonder, created especially for babies and toddlers

The Joy of Nonsense

This non-narrative production, loosely inspired by visual and graphic poetry, absurdist, surrealist, and Dadaist art, art brut, nonsense literature, and children’s rhymes, offers a unique opportunity for infants to encounter art for the first time. It gently introduces toddlers to the world of theatrical imagination alongside their closest loved ones. The production is part of the global trend of Theatre for Early Years (for audiences from 3 months to 3 years old), which in recent years has also taken root on Czech stages and is becoming a popular way for families to spend time together with their youngest children.

“What makes productions for the youngest audiences such a specific genre is the live interaction with the audience. It is often unpredictable, spontaneous, and thrillingly exciting. The actors must be constantly alert and ready for whatever the young viewers bring into the performance. The audience is seated directly on stage in close proximity to the action and the performers, allowing them to actively influence the course of the show. Everyone involved — actors, as well as stage technicians responsible for live music and, to a certain extent, live lighting design — is prepared to embrace this reality as part of the experience. Each performance thus has a completely unique dynamic,” explains dramaturge Barbora Kamenická Pokorná.

Jiří Ondra is currently one of the most prominent figures in theatre for children aged 0 to 3. While his theatrical work is not exclusively focused on this age group (he was the artistic director and resident director of Prague’s Theatre D21, worked as a director and dramaturge at the Theatre of Diversity in Most, and regularly collaborates with A Studio Rubín, among others), in recent years, productions for the very young have played a significant role in his work across Czech theatres.

To accommodate visits with children from 6 months of age, Divadlo Drak has prepared all the necessary facilities in the foyer of the studio stage. There will be space to park strollers, although due to limited capacity, visitors are kindly asked to prefer baby carriers or slings where possible. Changing tables and diaper bins will be available near the auditorium. In the performance space itself, young audience members can move freely, and it is possible to leave and return to the show at any time.

Check the REPERTOIRE page for more information and upcoming performances.