Blup? (NEW)

    Musical - Puppet show about the adventures of a water creature.
    5+, 45'

    Concept and music by Peter Kus
    Dramaturgy by Maria Giulia Campioli
    Animation consulting by Miha Arh, Filip Šebšajevič
    Art design by Katarína Caková
    Costumes by Iztok Hrga
    Lighting design by Borut Bučinel
    Stage set and props by Primož Mihevc

    Co-created and performed by Gašper Lovrec, Filip Šebšajevič, Peter Kus

    Produced by Kuskus Institute, Teatro al Quadrato (Italy)
    Co-produced by Cankarjev dom

    Supported by the Ministry of Culture Republic of of the Slovenia, Goethe-Institut (Culture Moves Europe Programme), Friuli Venezia Giulia Region,

    DOCUMENTS:
    technical requirements - for Blup
    technical requirements - for Volti d'acqua
    lighting plan
    press photos

    LINKS:
    Cankarjev dom
    Al quadrato

    Foto: Borut Bučinel, Nada Žgank

    COMING UP:

    • Dec. 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, Kosovel Hall, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana (Slovenia) – FOR KINDERGARTENS AND SCHOOLS
    • Dec. 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, Kosovel Hall, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana (Slovenia) – FOR KINDERGARTENS AND SCHOOLS
    • Jan. 14, 2027 at 5:00 PM, Janez Trdina Cultural Centre, Novo Mesto (Slovenia) – SEASON AND BOX OFFICE TICKETS
    • Jan. 15, 2027 at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM, Janez Trdina Cultural Centre, Novo Mesto (Slovenia) – SEASON AND BOX OFFICE TICKETS
    • Feb. 11, 2027 at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM, Cankarjev dom, Vrhnika (Slovenia) – FOR KINDERGARTENS AND SCHOOLS
    • Feb. 12, 2027 at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM, Cankarjev dom, Vrhnika (Slovenia) – FOR KINDERGARTENS AND SCHOOLS
    • Feb. 13, 2027 at 10:00 AM, Cankarjev dom, Vrhnika (Slovenia) – SEASON AND BOX OFFICE TICKETS

    REVIEWS:

    “The three scientists who accompany Blup’s game face a demanding acting challenge, as they must bring to life through their performance a character who does not exist on stage—at least not in physical form. They succeed in doing so, portraying Blup as a mischievous yet kind-hearted force of nature. … The music in the performance Blup? is more than mere support or an auxiliary element—music and rhythm are perhaps even the production’s primary means of expression. This gives it a concert-like, almost ritualistic quality, especially toward the end. The performers’ musicality and their strong ensemble work allow the music to become the production’s greatest strength.

    The success of the performance is also evident in the children’s interaction with it. From the very beginning, the children remained focused on the action, experienced everything alongside the characters, and responded to all the interactive elements.” — Lea Petrov, FEP Bulletin (Serbia)

    “The performance demonstrated that theatre for children does not always have to end with a clear-cut moral lesson. It can be a theatre of sensations, images, and sound that stimulates the imagination more than it explains the world step by step. …

    The young audience responded very enthusiastically. The children laughed, commented on the events unfolding on stage, and observed the artists’ animated objects and sound experiments with great concentration.” — Agata Rucińska, Bielski Rynek (Poland)

    ABOUT:

    Human beings are biologically and culturally linked to water, which is with us every moment of our lives. Its sounds bring us back to nature and the freshness of its inspiration, we marvel at its flexibility and brilliance and fear its destructive power.

    Children have a special relationship with water. They are attracted by its proximity, and splashing, jumping in puddles and playing with water are archetypes of childhood play. The creators have followed this affinity in designing the sound and visual identity of the show. They perform live music on a range of original water instruments and use water as the primary medium for puppet animation: it can take any form, but without it, it is itself.

    STORY:

    Scientists experimenting with water are surprised by a visit from the water creature Blup, who suddenly splashes into their laboratory. He slips into a glove, runs down a pipe, and spills into a bathtub and other containers. Along the way, he encounters plumbing objects that come to life and become characters in the puppet’s adventures. Blup watches the action and comes to the aid of anyone in need, giving a thirsty puppy a drink, putting out a fire, watering a flower, or cleaning up a mess. However, we notice his kindness only when Blup suddenly disappears.

    The project is a collaboration between the Cankarjev dom, Slovenia’s main cultural centre, the Kuskus Institute, and the independent Friulian theatre Al quadrato from Tarcento, Italy.

    The 45-minute performance is suitable for children aged of 5  and 11.

     

     

    PAST FESTIVALS, INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES AND AWARDS: