Cirk La Putyka to pay spectacular tribute to Czech circus art in O2 Universo in April 2020, topping off 10th anniversary celebrations

Cirk La Putyka is preparing the biggest production in its history which is scheduled to take place in O2 universum on 25 and 27 April 2020. The project – a series of four epic shows entitled Cesty (Roads) - will top off the company’s 10th anniversary celebrations. Local as well as international artists, joined on stage by forty acrobats, actors, dancers and musicians, will take the audience on a journey throughout the history of Czech circus art, tracing the origins and traditions of circus that La Putyka builds on and feels to be part of: from 19^th-century strolling puppeteers to early-20^th-century circus companies, interwar avantgarde and the Liberated Theatre, the protectorate, nationalisation of circuses, the boom of modern pantomime, the Velvet Revolution, the period before the foundation of the company, and its ten years of existence. At the end of the show, they will look into the future and celebrate with the spectators. Apart from the author of the concept, the company’s director Rostislav Novák Jr, the project is being shaped by international artists – Maksim Komaro (Circo Aereo), Daniel Gulko (Cahin Caha), Tilde Björfors (Cirkus Cirkör) and Ethan Law (Cirk La Putyka). Martin Vybíral’s stage design for 02 universum will be rather unconventional – the 30m x 7m stage will be installed width-wise so the viewers will be able to get very close to the performers. The costumes have been designed by Kristina Záveská, the author of the music score is Cirk La Putyka’s key composer Jan Balcar.

“We don’t want to celebrate our anniversary only by partying and raising glasses, neither by putting on a cabaret show or a showcase consisting of our previous performances,” explains Rosťa Novák. “Cirk La Putyka has been walking the new circus path for ten years. But where did the path start? With new circus in France? With the Liberated Theatre, or traditional circus? Or maybe with strolling puppeteers back in the 19^th century?” he asks. The production of Cesty (Roads) revolves around these questions and illustrates the evolution of circus art from the late 19^th century until these days. “Circus people are constantly on the road, they perform on the street, in big tops or in theatre houses.  While on the road, they create their shows, they get together and separate again. Older generations make way for the new ones. Once it’s circus with animals, once without them. But it’s always circus, the circus of life,” says Rosťa Novák.

The show will feature Cirk La Putyka members from different stages of the company’s life, who have performed together over the past ten years and travelled the Czech Republic and the whole world. “The show will bring together the respective directors, about forty artists of various nationalities and generations. Their experience will fuse and make for a spectacular show. Circus,“ concludes Rosťa Novák Jr. The stage itself will epitomize the theme of a journey, all the choreographies and scenes will be based on left-to-right movement, and everything will flow in constant motion.