Puppets

Spejbl

The puppet, allegedly made from a sketch by Prof. Skupa, was created by Karel Nosek, a woodcarver from Pilsen. The exact date of his debut is not known, it was at sometime in the autumn of 1920 at the “Loutkové divadlo feriálních osad” (Puppet Theatre of Ferial Camps) at the “Řemeslnická beseda” in Pilsen. Spejbl was a partner to the much-loved Mr. Punch in Pilsen in an encore to a performance for children.

Hurvínek

The puppet was created by Gustav Nosek (the nephew of Karel Nosek), as a gift and surprise for Prof. Josef Skupa. Hurvínek’s fi rst appearance was on May 2, 1926 in an encore to the evening performance of Rudolf Nešvera’s comedy “Honest House” at the puppet theatre held in the Řemeslnická beseda in Pilsen.

Mánička

Gustav Nosek carved her using the design of Prof. Skupa and artistic help from Jiří Trnka. She fi rst performed on April 19, 1930 at the premiere of “Hurvínek’s Spring Revue” (later renamed “Shotgun Revue”). The fi rst woman to play the role was Anna Kreuzmannová, followed by Božena Weleková in 1945 and subsequently Helena Štáchová in 1967. After several variations, the puppet most used was the design by Zdeněk Juřena.

Mrs. Kateřina Hovorková alias granny

Ivan Moravec carved her in 1971 using a design by Zdeněk Juřena. The defi nitive form came after her fi rst performance in the premiere of the play “A Trap for Hurvínek” (September 12, 1971 in Pardubice). She came about on the initiative of Helena Štáchová and Miloš Kirschner, as a female counterpart to Spejbl. Together with Mánička they form a foil for S+H. Both female roles are played by Helena Štáchová.

Žeryk

Another creation of Gustav Nosek, Žeryk the dog fi rst saw the light of day with Mánička in the premiere of “Hurvínek’s Spring Revue” (Shotgun Revue) on April 19, 1930. Up until 1938, Žeryk was played by Gustav Nosek, a member of Skupa’s professional ensemble. The role was then taken on by František Flajšhanz and when he left the theatre, Miroslav Černý stepped in. Currently, Miroslav Polák plays Žeryk.