Zoran Srdić Janežič, Jana Putrle Srdić: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, premiere

Drawing: Zoran Srdić Janežič

While Little Red Riding Hood is no longer a helpless little girl, the wolf on the other hand remains confined to its representation of an untamed beast and an intruder. Do wolves really act as beasts towards human species, or could it be that humans actually pose a threat to wolves? Once upon a time wolves were actually companions to nomads, they would share space and food together. Today, however, wolves are nowhere to be seen, heard or touched. A part of wolves still resides with us in dogs, snoozing in boredom at their masters’ feet. And wolves, where have they gone? Little Red Riding Hood follows them, talks to them and dances the alternating dance of strength and friendship. That is, if friendship between the two species is still possible: if a man isn’t a threat to a wolf and if a wolf isn’t just a fairy tale to a man, a mere shadow on a screen.

This dance-puppet performance in its innovative approach genre-wise revolves around the relationship between the wolf and the Little Red Riding Hood, whereby the central axis of its content and repetition preserves the elements of seduction. Its main theme emanates from a contemporary issue, namely our fascination over the animal world and our fear of the beasts, chaos and death, reflecting a relationship between civilisation and wilderness, between culture and nature. The Little Red Riding Hood feigns her civilised attitude in her effort to change the animal world and to protect it in the same breath, exhibiting the wolf in a cage and transforming its nature via socialisation into one of a dog.

Direction and conceptual framework: Zoran Srdić Janežič, Jana Putrle Srdić
Choreography and dance: Rosana Hribar
Puppet animation and perforamnce: Miha Arh
Shadow puppets design and set design: Zoran Srdić Janežič
Video: Gorazd Krnc
Costumes: Maja Peterlin
Music: Jaka Berger
Voice: Ana Pepelnik
Recordings of wolves: Miha Krofel
Light design: Igor Remeta
Production: Zavod Gulag
In cooperation with: Bunker, Ljubljana