MR PUNTILA AND HIS MAN MATTI

The Bertolt Brecht epic comedy from 1940 is based on the short stories and draft of the play by the Finnish author Hella Wuolijoki. The wealthy landowner Puntila is a generous man, willing to give away his fields and cows and himself, to be engaged to four women at once, to take pity on the poor family of a worker; naturally, only when he is drunk. As his inebriated state happens to him more often than his bouts of sobriety, nothing is as it seems. The adventurous and cheerful nature suddenly turns into a strict father and an uncompromising capitalist. Yet, there is his chauffeur Matti, his unkind mirror. Perhaps he will get Puntila’s daughter Eva for a wife. What does it matter that the landowner arranged her for a promising Attaché: after all, business is business. Through specific humour (the play has the form of folk play with elements of farce and comedy dell’arte ) the author also raises issues of social relations. Contemporary directing and artistic take, together with exceptional acting and live music, promise an extraordinary theatre experience.
(source: www.sdke.sk )

Martin Čičvák graduated in stage directing in 1999 at The Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. He cooperates as director with several Slovak and Czech theatres (National Theatre Brno, Prague Drama Club, Slovak National Theatre, Aréna Theatre) and with European scenes in the UK and Slovenia. Productions directed by him feature regularly at domestic and international festivals. He is the laureate of several important awards given by renowned Slovak, Czech and European critics (DOSKY Award, The Alfréd Radok Award, Critic’s Award Time Magazine’s Choice out and many others). In addition to drama directing, he also directs opera (Opera of the National Theatre Prague and State Opera Prague) and translation. He is the author of dramatic texts and theatrical adaptations. His play, Dom, kde sa to robí dobre (Frankie is OK, Peggy is Fine and the House Is Cool), was performed on stages in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the UK.
(source: Current Directors of Slovakia, www.theatre.sk , abridged)