Hans Hraško

The Plot

A farmer and his wife wish for a child and after a long time of waiting their wish comes true and Hans Hrasko (“little pea” in Slovak) is born. He is so small, that he can hardly be seen: He is not bigger than a small pea.
First, the parents are shocked and frightened by this strange child. They are afraid that it will only cause them grief and sorrow.

But Hans Hrasko is indeed a special child: Despite its tiny stature, he is full of courage. With his clever ideas he helps his parents to overcome seemingly impossible tasks. His actions do not remain unknown! Even the princess of the country is excited and falls in love with Hans Hrasko: from a small pea child will be a great king.

Small is big
How can the small be big?

"Hans Hraško" is a game with dimensions: What is small for all the others, appears huge in Hans Hraškos eyes. In our presentation, the parents are represented by puppets in the background and Hans Hrasko is played by an actress. The perspective changes continuously: Sometimes you will see the world from the perspective of a tiny pea and even a normal spoon is enormously on stage.

Hans Hrasko as "organic fairy tale"

The stage and the props are made out of "unstructured" materials that we find in nature (such as wood and stones). During the play the materials come alive and also change their meaning. The children experience these materials in a new and playful context. In this fable from old times also "old" materials are used.

Jazz with folk instruments from Slovakia

The accompanying music to the play is composed by the jazz band "Hammerling" and played also on popular musical instruments such as the Fujara (Slovak woodwind).

Children from 3.5 and grown ups.

We will play also in kindergartens and schools.

So that children can see this little big tale in the theater and get to know other cultures, as here, the Slovak, in an imaginative and humorous way. And to make that children play possible with its vibrancy and quality.

We intend to finance the dolls and costumes that are made in Slovakia.
With the money from the funding we also will record the music, which is composed especially for the play by the German jazz group Hammerling and will be recorded in a professional recording studio, so that it can be played during the performances.