About the play
Tim the Tailor, from the pen of writer Leopold Suhodolčan, came to life in the colourful and whimsical illustrations of illustrator Marlenka Stupica. Very few children, from the 1970s to the present day, listening to or reading the ten fascinating stories, have not been impressed by the skill and simple solutions of the wonderful Tim, who solved every problem in a flash - with a few buttons, some thread, precise tailoring and ingenuity. In this theatre production, we have coloured the story of a childhood friendship intertwined with the problems of the city's inhabitants with the comic aesthetic of superheroism. What else could a modern-day Tim the Tailor become than an urban superhero? Tim, Bine and Breda fight for justice, help the needy, are eco-conscious and reveal the veils of a strong friendship. The show takes us holistically into the magical world of a resourceful tailor, where every problem can be solved with a little courage and a little help. Scissors, thread, sewing needle, let's go!
About the literary collection
Author Leopold Suhodolčan has written three books about the tailor Tim. The first is a picture book from 1970 called Tim the Tailor, followed by a second one called Where did tailor Tim hide? The last one was published after the author's death, the picture book Tim the Tailor is Playing with You. The stories intertwine human flaws, adult blindness, childish shrewdness, DIY ideology, which shatters the idea of supernatural heroism and inspires young readers with the courage to solve even the most puzzling adventures completely on their own with a little ingenuity and a lot of courage. They are not without magical fairy tales and aesthetic delights that take the youngest into the world of literature, where children and adolescents begin to develop into loyal readers.
About the author
Leopold Suhodolčan was born in 1928 in Žire, Poljanska dolina. He was an active writer of literary works, writing novellas, novels, theatre, radio and television plays. He wrote forty-two books for children and young people, including realistic short stories, children's fairy tales, picture books and fantasy stories. He also published fiction in newspapers and magazines and wrote articles on culture, art and education. He was a translator of fiction and a writer of travel and memoirs. His work has been translated into twenty-six languages and he has worked with more than seventy illustrators. Perhaps his most interesting legacy, which goes beyond his writing career, is the creation of the Reading Badge, a key programme in educating young students and spreading a culture of reading. In his writing for children and young people, Suhodolčan adhered to certain principles: expressive action, a fast pace, fantasy relaxation, exploration, discovery, a clear plot and an environment in which any young reader can quickly find himself, enjoy and learn. His work expresses truth, freedom and childlike playfulness. The author died in 1980 in Golnik.
About the director
Robert Waltl (1965), actor, director, puppeteer. Director of Mini teater Ljubljana and the Jewish Cultural Centre in Ljubljana, founder of the Liberal Jewish Community of Ljubljana and civil rights activist. Since 1987 he has created numerous acting roles in Slovenian and Croatian theatres and films. Since 1999 he has also established himself as a director. Many of his directorial creations have been awarded with prestigious prizes at various festivals, and his plays have been performed on tour and at numerous international festivals. He has created a large number of acting roles for radio plays. After extensive experiences in institutional theatre, Robert Waltl left the security of official institutions. In 1998, with his own financial resources, he founded a new Slovenian theatre - Mini teater. He is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes: Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of the Government of the Republic of France, Order of Merit of the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor for his outstanding contribution to the remembrance and awareness of the Holocaust and the importance of tolerance, and for his long-standing work in the field of theatre art, the Ljubljana Capital Prize for his contribution to the city in the field of civic engagement and artistic creation, the prestigious award of the Association of Dramatic Artists of Slovenia, the Župančič Prize of the City of Ljubljana for his contribution to the cultural image of the city, and numerous prizes at various festivals in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, China, Iran, Poland, Belarus, Cuba and Serbia.
From the reviews
"The fairytale-fantasy character of the literary original is well preserved in the performance Tim the Tailor, directed by Robert Waltl and dramaturged by Nika Korenjak. The creators preserve and further emphasize the motifs of the original that are relevant to contemporary social reality - the struggle for justice, ecological awareness, solidarity, and it is also in the actualization that the key shift from the literary template takes place."(...) "Equally commendable is Mini teater's collaboration with young artists, who in the case of Tim the Tailor are the young actress Suzana Krevh and the music creators Laetitia Pohl - KIKI, a young and unique singer-songwriter, and Jaka Florjančič, who have signed their names to the original music and sound design." Tajda Lipicer, Veza Sigledal
