Theatres, Cultural Centres

Naive Theatre, Liberec

The “Naivko” (“Naive Theatre”) is home to all kinds of puppets, who tell fairy tales to children of all ages. The famous “Ypsilonka” theatre started here a long time ago (it’s now in Prague), and for a change they now have here the Mateřinka – an international festival of professional puppet theatres. Most of all, though, they see the world through children’s eyes and so have won a handful of awards for their work.

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Location
Address:Moskevská 32/18Liberec, 460 31GPS:50°46'4.0''N; 15°03'28.5''E[Map]
Contact
Phone:+420 485 253 611E-mail:info@naivnidivadlo.czWeb:www.naivnidivadlo.cz

Home to puppets and a friend to children

The first children’s laughter rang out at the Naive Theatre back in 1949, as the "Naivko" was one of the very first professional puppet theatres in the former Czechoslovakia. Back then it was known as the Central Puppet Theatre and had its name changed several times after that, but luckily the most important thing remained. Even now, the auditorium is still full of children drawn by the fairy-tale performances into a playful world of endless fantasy.


International Mateřinka Festival

Every odd year in June, the streets of Liberec are filled with flying elephants, the unmistakable symbol of the Mateřinka Festival. The Naive Theatre has been organising it since 1972, and this festival (the only such event in the Czech Republic and one of very few in Europe) is designed exclusively to showcase works for preschool children.


Liberec puppets on the world’s stages

The puppets of the Naive Theatre have told their stories and fairy tales to children in most European countries, as well as in Israel, Canada, USA, Mexico, Japan, China, Korea and Pakistan.


Wood’s good at acting, too

The vast majority of the Naive Theatre’s puppets are carved from linden wood, as it is very soft and can easily be cut "through the years" (the age rings). The Backstage Tour gives you the chance to see the puppets used in the 1956 production of Sambo and the Lion, which are the Naive Theatre's oldest surviving puppets. 


Ticket sales

  • Tickets are available only from the Naive Theatre box office.