Spejbl and Hurvínek (/s-payble & hoor-vee-neck/) is a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods ...

comedy duo. The characters were conceived by Czech

puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...

Josef Skupa Josef Skupa (16 January 1892 in Strakonice – 8 January 1957 in Prague) was a Czech puppeteer. He studied at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, and worked as stage designer in the Plzeň City Theatre, also as designer in S ...

. Throughout the years the two characters have gained international success. They have released many comedy albums, had their own television show and feature film ''

Harvie and the Magic Museum ''Harvie and the Magic Museum'' ( cz, Hurvínek a kouzelné muzeum) is a 2017 3D computer-animated comedy fantasy film based on the Czech Spejbl and Hurvínek puppet comedy duo.

''. Each album usually contains one story, about the dim-witted father Josef Spejbl, and his son Hurvínek, who live with another family in the same apartment. Later on, the duo was accompanied by another family, Ms. Kateřina and her daughter Mánička. All four live with the dog Žeryk who has the ability to bark words. Though the comedy is aimed at children, there are several inside jokes that are meant for adults. The duo has their own

Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre ( cs, Divadlo Spejbla a Hurvínka) is a puppet theatre located in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1930 by puppeteer Josef Skupa, Spejbl and Hurvínek was the first professional puppet theatre established in Czechosl ...

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Dejvice Dejvice is a historical community, a municipal quarter of the Prague 6 district of Prague, Czech Republic. Its history can be traced back to the late Roman era. Dejvice is known for its appeal to the upper middle class, foreign diplomatic corps ...

. Besides puppet performances, several stories of Spejbl and Hurvínek were recorded, and one series of ''

Večerníček Večerníček (meaning "little bedtime story" Czech and Slovak) is a television program for children in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It has been broadcast regularly for over 50 years. Before the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, two ...

'' (bedtime stories).

History

The first of the puppets, invented by Josef Skupa in 1920, was Spejbl – a retrograde teacher, barely able to keep up with things happening around him. Skupa then performed with him in

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

s in Western Bohemia. In 1926, he brought to life his son, Hurvínek – a sometimes lazy, sometimes hyper-active, child. By that time Skupa had mastered performing with both of them, even providing voices for them, using his typical high-pitch voice for Hurvínek. The success Skupa had with both of the puppets was enough for him to establish a theatre dedicated to them, in 1930. Skupa handed over the puppeteering to other people in the theatre, and concentrated on providing voices and writing new plots for the two of them. The two characters have entertained both children and adults for decades. Later on, Ms. Kateřina and Mánička, along with Žeryk were introduced, making it more plausible for them to experience the most bizarre and entertaining adventures of all in their stories. After Skupa's death, the next voice actor to voice the two puppets was

Miloš Kirschner Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name Sportsmen * Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower * Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer * Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...

. Voices for Mánička and Ms. Kateřina were provided by his wife,

Helena Štáchová Helena Štáchová (18 November 1944, Prague – 22 March 2017, Prague) was a Czech puppeteer, voice actress and playwright. Štáchová served as the head and director of the Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre (S+H), which opened in 1930 as former C ...

. After Kirschner's death the next voice actor for Spejbl and Hurvínek became Martin Klásek.

External links

*
Marionette Spejbl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spejbl And Hurvinek Czech comedians Jiří Trnka 20th-century comedians