Christmas Play: A Great Lithuanian Folk Tale

Have you noticed that as Christmas approaches, adults suddenly find themselves with countless extra errands, preparations, endless worries and things to hurry off to? It seems that at this time of year, parents never have enough hours in the day to get everything done. To keep the children at home from getting bored and causing mischief, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives are called in to help. If anyone knows, it’s grandparents: the greatest Christmas miracle is spending joyful time together. “A Great Lithuanian Folk Tale” is a play for the whole family about courage, closeness and the wonders we can create together.

One evening, two grandfathers arrive to look after their three grandchildren: the serious Juozas and the cheerful Juozukas. They have very different ideas about their “duties”, but the evening takes a turn neither of them expected. The grandfathers are soon drawn into the children’s world of imagination, and an ordinary home becomes a magical place that can even send shivers down your spine. As they play, characters from various Lithuanian folk tales come to life, and an entirely new story unfolds before the audience’s eyes.

Young audience members will recognise characters from the tales “Eglė the Queen of Serpents”, “The Twelve Brothers Who Flew as Ravens”, “The Sky Is Falling”, “How a Man Outwitted the Devil”, “The Three Brothers”, “The Flying Ship” and “Lukošiukas”. This adventure-filled play reminds us that family unity is the force that can always help us overcome the greatest enemies and fears. “A Great Lithuanian Folk Tale” invites you to immerse yourself in a playful, imagination-stirring adventure, where you’ll also meet the real Santa Claus!

Cast: Severinas Norgaila, Juozas Bindokas, Juozas Žibūda, Inga Jarkova - Bučienė, Eglė Žvinienė, Danguolė Petraitytė

Creative team:
Director – Eglė Kižaitė
Playwright – Monika Baranauskaitė
Set and costume designer – Laura Luišaitytė
Composer – Pijus Narijauskas
Lighting designer – Evaldas Šmitkinas