Youth Theatre

Once upon a time, it was the first puppet theatre in Serbia and Vojvodina, and today it is the famous Youth Theatre in the heart of Novi Sad. For more than eight decades of its existence, more than 300 plays have been staged, and more than 20,000 performances have been held and seen by around three million spectators.

The Youth Theatre was founded in 1932 as the Puppet Theatre, at the Sokolsko Društvo in Novi Sad. It originated from the Sokol section of puppeteers, which was formed in 1930, with the great support of the elders of Sokol, Dr Vladimir Belajčić and Dr Ignjat Pavlas.

Dr Lazar Dragić, later the first director of the Puppet Theatre, was sent to Ljubljana first for a puppetry course. The first large moving stage, the first 11 puppets-marionettes, as well as the play that would have been performed, arrived from Ljubljana. On the stage set up in the building of Matica Srpska, in the practice room of the Sokolsko Društvo, the first play was performed – The Princeling from the Underworld (Kraljević iz podzemlja).

The Puppet Theatre got its first house in 1936 with the construction of the ‘King Alexander I of Yugoslavia’ Memorial House, a magnificent and modern building designed by the distinguished architect Đorđe Tabaković. The house had 166 seats, and a new stage was built.

During World War II, the theatre was not working, and it suffered a lot of damage – puppets, sets, and costumes were destroyed or stolen. Under the name Vojvodina Puppet Theatre, it started working immediately after the end of the war, but with great difficulties. Žarko Vasiljević, then manager of the Vojvodina National Theatre, came to help. This was followed by a change of name to the City Puppet Theatre, then to the Puppet Theatre, and in 1968 the theatre finally received its current name.

The Evening, and later the Drama Stage, began its work in 1991. Since then, the Youth Theatre has had two stages: the Children’s Stage and the Drama Stage, and plays are performed in Large and Small Houses.

For its work, the Youth Theatre received a number of recognitions and awards, both at local, Vojvodina and republican, as well as international gatherings and competitions.

The stars from London, HÆLOS, straight from the Billboard charts, arrive at Doček 7531, bringing trip-hop sounds to the special ambience of the oldest puppet theatre in Serbia, the Youth Theatre, on 13 January at 10 p.m. We will find out why this band is breaking streaming records on all platforms.