Whale's NavelStreet performance for three performers, a whale, a guitar, a broom and the audience, length 60 min

Great change is under way in the world of mythological and fairy creatures, especially those considered evil until only recently. Evil witches are now warm and funny, cruel giants friendly, while in the romantic notions of contemporary teenagers, blood-thirsty vampires have transformed into passionate lovers. Is this a reflection of the changes in modern society?

People have been telling stories for thousands of years. We use metaphors where straightforward everyday language falls short. Everywhere around us, myths offer answers. Not definitive or dogmatic answers, but poetic riddles that stir the imagination and give rise to new questions. Are ancient myths still relevant? What do contemporary reinterpretations of ancient stories, fairly creatures, and situations reveal about us?

The author of the concept and performance director drew inspiration from the books and lectures of two globally renowned mythologists, Joseph Campbell and Michael Meade, as well as from the poetry of “mystic” poets William Blake, Walt Whitman and Alojz Gradnik. Through their works, the co-creators of the performance will question and evoke the role of myths, narration, and performance of stories in the role on modern humans and communities.

The performance will be staged on the street and will open up a live dialogue on the relevance of mythological content in today’s world, encouraging contemplation with metaphors and exploration of the mysteries that elude complete understanding through reason. The performance will support children with accepting differences in a world of diverse opinions, cultures and identities.

It will captivate both young and adult audiences by alternating between two contrasting atmospheres: a poetic ambiance and an everyday setting. These atmospheres will intertwine, escalating at increasingly shorter intervals, until they merge into one by the end of the performance. A diverse group of performers will utilise narration, theatre improvisation, verbal interaction and elements of physical theatre, masks, puppet animations and live music to guide the audience to their final destination. Through these techniques, they will invite the audience to immerse themselves in the story and enter the mythical realm. The (young) audience will experience the performance as play and by the end become part of it.

Premiere: May 2025, on the streets of Ljubljana