Secret Society PGCDramatic performance, length 80 min

Secret Society PGC, foto: Urška Boljkovac

Secret Society PGC is a legendary text and children's classic story, written by Slovenian writer Anton Ingolič in 1958. He was one of the first post-war authors, who, inspired by the real life of young people in that period of time, addressed their topical issues through depicting their unusual adventures. Thus many generations of children used to grow up along with the very popular and famous Society of Pingoclavulus - or shortened PGC. This modern re-interpretation of the Secret Society PGC was staged in our theatre for the first time.

Whereas Ingolič wrote his story in the beginning of the epoch of socialism, our interpretation, adapted by Nebojša Pop Tasić, takes place in its end stages, in the nineteen eighties. Tasić replaced children’s innocence with children’s engagement. Ingolič’s children were stealing and collecting drawing pins from the bulletin boards, whereas the children in our performance take a step further, using the same drawing pins to hang their songs and slogans, and thus provoking “political” reaction and sanctions.

The staging explores an empty stage, thus stimulating viewer’s imagination and enabling the performers a myriad of transformations in space and time. The performers are imaginatively, dynamically and playfully switching between the scenes and various devilries of the secret society. In addition to the exciting story, interesting characters and inherent humour, the protagonists are able to tackle even much more serious topics. Mike’s narrative is by no means only an entertaining and dynamic story of a detective collection of drawing pins, but above all a tale about fearlessness, bravery and friendship.

Mare Bulc is a stage director, who is also active as an actor, playwright, author of dramatisations and an interdisciplinary artist. He has also been intensively dedicating himself - especially in the last few years -, to the shows for children and young people, to which he wishes to approach in the spirit of experimentation, through re-examining and modifying the conventional means of expression.

PREMIERE: October 2016, Šentjakob Stage LGL