1991 Amateur sphere – Ing. Jiří Vorel
Ing. Jiří Vorel has done a lot in his 72 years and can thus be entitled to a rest, however, he continues to be active and busy. He brought up two successful sons. He knows many contemporary as well as past giants in the arts and has in his Zvoneček Puppet Theatre raised three generations of spectators and puppet actors, who are grateful for this. Ing.Vorel owns a collection of classic puppets, the history of which goes far back to the 18th century and the quality of which is admired by experts as well as laymen throughout the world.
You have a magnificent collection of old puppets, possibly one of the largest private collections in the world and there is a great interest in it. Why did you decide to collect them and how did it procede?
The initial puppets collected came from my grandfather. Then once, towards the end of 68, artist Rikl and graphic artist and professor of the Hollar school who collected small puppets came and said: Mr. Vorel, I have a descendant of the famous Matěj Kopecký in Teplice who wants to sell the entire theatre, go have a look at it. I sold everything possible. My wife and I were saving for a car, there was no car and there isn’t one up to now. Everything I had, I put into old puppets. In order to run the theatre and to be able to buy some more unique puppets, since the department of culture did not give us anything at first, and then again nothing I had to sell some of the puppets, to the National
Museum, where they have my puppets, to the Chrudim Puppet Museum who has my initial old collection and also the Brno Museum. I also donated some puppets with which I was able to part to the Mozart Open which plays Don Giovanni. Now an exhibition will open in Krumlov.
(for Xantipa magazine – Zdeněk Sloboda debated with Ing. Jiří Vorel – abbreviated version)
The traditional puppet theatre Zvoneček (Little bell) was established as a reaction to the occupation by the Soviet armies by Ing. Jiří Vorel in 1969. It was then, when in view of the great audience response, he and his family moved the performances from the front hall behind the door to the laundry of their house in Bránická street. Already in 1968, Mr. Vorel purchased old puppets from the descendant of the legendary Czech puppeteer Matěj Kopecký. These puppets performed in the first plays for adult audiences texts by old masters of the national renaissance. Posvícení in Hudlice (Village fair at Hudlice), Herkules or Boj s čerty…(Fight with the devil)
It did not take long for Zvoneček, called after an old bell which opens every performance to move from the laundry room down Branicka street into the former Moravian Pub. Friends and acquaintances were invited to participate by acting, speaking and creating new plays – among them Bohumír Koubek (sculptor and painter), Vojtěch Cynibulk (graphic artist, author), Jaroslav Krček (composer) or Václav Zamazal (music director).
Because of disagreements with the management of the Bráník House of Culture, Zvoneček moved in 1985 to the Novodvorská Cultural Centre where it has remained until now. During its existence at this Centre it has raised three generations of spectators as well as actors. The repertory changed to a children’s fairy-tale genre and has stabilized on about 20 plays which are being performed from a soundtrack, narrated e.g. by Vlastimil Brodský, Petr Kostka or Ondřej Vetchý. The ensemble has, in the course of its thirty year existence, performed on the stages of Bratislava, Vienna, Bautren, Charleville-Mezieres (Fr.), Holland and elsewhere.
In 1999 it celebrated its 30th anniversary and its 5000th performance.
In November of 2001 it welcomed the 250 000th spectator.