About the ensemble
From computer screens back to good old-fashioned craftsmanship. Artists and husband-and-wife team Barbora and Jan Sládek originally created animations and interactive presentations for the digital world. Driven by the need to take a break from virtual reality and constantly staring at screens, they began building physical, mechanical games in their home workshop. However, what started as a family “digital detox” quickly spiraled out of control. They first presented their traveling game room to the public in 2018, and since the pandemic, it has become a staple of the best Czech theater and music festivals. Moreover, their installations never stay the same—every year they create five to eight brand-new objects, so they’re sure to surprise you, even if you spent half an afternoon with them last year.
About the production
A trailer packed with nostalgia, solid wood, and wild games is coming to the festival—games that are sure to make adults forget their age. Forget complicated rules or screens. Here, all you need to do is grab a crank, a hammer, or a wooden rifle and dive right into the action.
Try catching falling eggs, knocking down a few beer bottles to win the bartender’s heart, or hitting the strength meter to find out if you’re a real tough guy—or, on the contrary, a “big bad guy.” Sládkovna offers absurd mechanical challenges ranging from fishing for pearls at the bottom of the sea to navigating a ship around a giant squid, all the way to a tricky simulator of stumbling home with a serious hangover. If you need a break, you can get a cool tattoo from sailor Pája that the rest of the festival will honestly envy. Come give the crank a spin and prove that you still have that playful child inside you.
