Topical

On May 8, the final premiere of the season will take place in the Small Hall of the Latvian Puppet Theatre – an educational pop-science musical “Mushrooms”, featuring songs by Jānis Šipkēvics (Shipsea) and Marts Pujāts. The musical will boldly explore the diversity of fungi and their role in nature, brought to life not only through music but also through the vivid costumes created by director and set designer Pamela Butāne.

Every Latvian knows that mushroom picking is like searching for hidden treasures. But there are also those who deeply love not only mushroom sauce, but mushrooms themselves. These are the true foragers, forest shamans, and wandering scientists, who search and ուսումնասիր with such passion and enthusiasm that sometimes it feels as though they themselves would like to become mushrooms. If a “Mushroomvision” contest took place deep in the forest, what would be the songs of the chanterelle, the fly agaric, the porcini, or even mold?

Musician and composer Jānis Šipkēvics shares: “What I really love about this idea is its encyclopedic aspect, which I believe benefits not only children but adults as well. I have personally learned so much about mushrooms during this process, and I can’t wait to see the result—I dare say this is the best theatre project I have been part of so far!”

Creative team: director and set designer Pamela Butāne, playwright Ance Muižniece, composer Jānis Šipkēvics, lyricist Marts Pujāts, choreographer Agate Bankava, and lighting designer Māra Aniņa.

Cast: Anna Klišāne, Agris Nātre, Krists Jēkabsons.

Director and set designer Pamela Butāne emphasizes: “Mushrooms are a wonderful subject for a performance because they are not only diverse and intriguing, but also sustain vital life processes on Earth. They remind us that everything in the world is interconnected and influences one another, and that we, as humans, are part of a unified network where everyone has a role.”

In the performance, passionate mushroom enthusiasts step into the shoes of fungi, offering audiences an educational and musical mushroom show that will captivate even those who have not yet fallen under their spell. The performance is suitable for audiences aged 7 and up.

More information and tickets are available here.