Red Shoes

Merlin Children’s and Youth Theatre

Timisoara, Romania

 

Author: H. C. Andersen

Director: Baczó Tünde

Set design: Bajko Attila

Costumes: Cristina Milea

Choreography: Baczó Tünde

Music: Cari Tibor

Lyrics: Geanina Jinaru–Doboș

 

Cast: Patricia Gavril, Magyari Etelka, Cristian Brătoiu, Madalina Ghitescu–Petre, Lucian Matei, Raul Lăzărescu, Laurențiu Pleșa

 

“The surreal world created by Andersen in this fairy tale inspired me to explore a theme that remains deeply connected to youth and just as relevant today as it was in the time of the Danish writer. Vanity and egocentrism have become a growing concern among children today. In a society obsessed with image, students are almost naturally preoccupied with their appearance above all else. School has begun to resemble a catwalk rather than a place where they can receive the most precious gift of all – education. The healthy competition that once motivated children has been replaced by a destructive rivalry driven by self-absorption, often leading to intol­erable situations. We are witnessing the creation of distorted values, and through the dance-the­atre piece The Red Shoes, I feel compelled to raise the alarm – to make children, parents, and teachers aware of this phenomenon.

 

The language of dance, as a natural extension of Andersen’s surreal universe, allows me to sound this warning without assigning blame – for that is not what theatre should be used for. Each of us must find our own way toward a solution, just as Karen does in this story.” – Baczó Tünde.

 

Form: Drama–puppet show

Language: Non–verbal

Age of the audience: 10+

Performance duration: 70 minutes