New puppet play in Szeged examines the loss of imagination in childhood

NewsCulture

Jan 30

Three puppets on stage during a puppet theater performance

The Kövér Béla Puppet Theater in Szeged will premiere its first production of 2026 on Sunday with Lóri fantáziavilágban (Lóri in Fantasia), a contemporary children’s puppet play focusing on the role of imagination.

The production is based on the contemporary fairy tale Tutu by Polish author Katarzyna Mazur-Lejman and was adapted for the stage by guest director Csenge Berta Ecsedi. The story centers on the gradual disappearance of Fantasia — referred to in the play as the realm of “What-If” — as children become increasingly overburdened and disconnected from imaginative play.

The plot follows Lóri, a child with a vivid imagination who becomes central to saving Fantasia. In the story, three child-snatching creatures from the fantasy world seek Lóri’s help, as their survival depends on the continued existence of imagination. Theater representatives said the production reflects current social concerns related to children’s workloads and the loss of free, creative time.

The premiere follows a press conference held earlier this week at the puppet theater, where theater director Ágnes Kiss and director Csenge Berta Ecsedi presented the production. The event was also attended by lead actor Anna Spergel, as well as puppet makers Eszter Tóth and Attila Etele Kiss.

Kiss said the theater aims to respond to contemporary social issues through its programming and gives directors broad artistic freedom in selecting material. She added that the overburdening of school-age children is a real and widely experienced issue.

Unusually for a puppet theater production, Lóri fantáziavilágban uses large-scale puppets on a relatively small stage. Kiss also announced that the original Polish author, Katarzyna Mazur-Lejman, and the Hungarian translator of the tale, Patrícia Pászt, will attend the premiere in Szeged.

Lóri fantáziavilágban premieres Sunday at the Kövér Béla Puppet Theater. The performance is recommended for children aged four and older.

The language of the performance is Hungarian.