Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre (Czech: Divadlo Spejbla a Hurvínka) is a puppet theatre located in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1930 by puppeteer Josef Skupa, Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre was the first professional puppet theatre established in Czechoslovakia and the present-day Czech Republic.[1] It was named after the puppets Hurvínek and Spejbl.
Helena Štáchová, a puppeteer who played the well known roles of Manicka and Mrs Katerina in the company, served as the head of Spejbl and Hurvínek from 1996 until her death in 2017,[1] following Miloš Kirschner (1956/1966-1996) and founder Josef Skupa (1930-1956). In 2008, a court awarded Štáchová the right to use the popular Spejbl and Hurvínek puppet characters after an eight-year legal dispute, which allowed the S+H Theatre to continue its programs.[1]
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