The Adventures of Trickster, Hardie and Hungerly

A quick reminder: Dumas’s Artagnan hails from Gascony, whose inhabitants are famous for their braggadocio. Trickster, Hardie and Hungerly certainly know how to brag about their bravery, but when real trouble looms, they hide, and, much to the delight of the young spectators, peek onto the stage and into the hall from their hiding spots. However, when the situation turns critical, when it’s about life or death, all three know how to turn into heroes and, particularly Hungerly, convince the young spectators that fortune indeed favours the brave. Despite all the twists and turns, their greatest  quality is their loyal friendship that they continuously affirm with the promise: ‘All for one and one for all!’ […] Alongside Hardie (Klara Kastelec), who charms the young with intelligent judgement without giving up on playfulness, the crafty Trickster (Jurica Marčec) and enthralling Hungerly (Ivan Peternelj) are equally adorable. Joining them on stage are Janja Majzelj, Maruša Oblak, Robert Previl, Romana Šalehar, and Dario Varga, as well as Liam Hlede and Boris Prevec. We can only wish that the fine-tuned ensemble will have a long run with this quality show and tour with its innovative set throughout Slovenia.

Janja Majzelj, in particular, stands out in her role as Joža Gulikoža, who, unlike other main protagonists, is not wearing a mask covering her head. […] The Mladinsko did, however, play with the backgrounds which Muster, except in a few early episodes, barely uses. Using artificial intelligence, they recreated more detailed and richer backgrounds in the style of the cartoonist’s drawings, which they then projected on some white canvases that recreate the impression of looking at a comic book strip. At a certain point, the projection is turned off, and the canvases are used from the other side as a base for shadows in a short segment using the shadow theatre technique. Watch the show rather than the animation […] But true love can only be discovered in comic books.

One of the stronger performing components is the multi-layered music by the duo Silence that shifts between the nostalgia of the time and the atmosphere of the space. The acting trio of a turtle, fox, and wolf is fine-tuned and playful. Klara Kastelec, Jurica Marčec and Ivan Peternelj, each with their own gesticulation, efficiently characterise the heroes, which, considering the oversized costumes and masks as the central visual elements, must be a challenge. Another perfectly constructed character is [Joža] Gulikoža in Janja Majzelj’s adorably menacing interpretation, while the rest remain more or less marked, including in acting. Matjaž Pograjc’s one-hour production takes the heroes to the first fight with the robbers to the happy end that Trickster, Hardie and Hungerly find difficult to abandon. […] In any case, this stage adventure about the three musketeers is created to entertain the younger spectators (it is recommended for ages six and older), as well as older audiences. The older ones will, no doubt, remember nostalgically the events in the fragrant inn, the castle dungeon and the time machine.

The structure of the production makes it easy for it to be put on different stages and take the audience into its world of adventure in an entertaining way. Matjaž Pograjc’s direction is simple, logical and follows the principles of classic theatre, which additionally makes the content and production more accessible to children. Dramaturgically, Pograjc follows the current of events, focuses on the content which he presents as if it were a soap opera, so that he leaves the spectators gasping at cliffhangers (that lead to a happy ending). The tension he increases and structures with his direction through storytelling has its charms, and it maintains the concentration and attention of spectators. […] The Mladinsko Theatre thus importantly sends another important production to the horizon of theatre suitable for young viewers that will contribute significantly to the popularisation of theatre in children and young adults and [ …encourage them] to attend plays and raise them in this spirit. A production for which we are convinced that it will, much like Vito Taufer’s ones, remain on the Mladinsko repertoire for years.