Multimedia as Kinetic Scenography and an Experimental Form of Narrative in Contemporary Non-Verbal Theatre for Toddlers

Authors

  • Hana Strejčková Faculty of Music and Dance, Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, Czech Republic

Keywords:

multimedia, theatre for the very young, rhythmisation of the staging elements

Abstract

This article aims to contribute to the broader debate on the role of multimedia in contemporary theatre, particularly in the context of an interactive and inclusive approach to the youngest audiences. The production BatoLaterna (BabyLaterna), the first ever stage project by the National Theatre Prague – Laterna magika for children aged 6 months to 3 years, directed by the author of the study Hana Strejčková, is a unique example of contemporary theatre for toddlers that experiments with the language of multimedia. This 2022 production develops the traditional principles of Laterna magika, while innovatively transforming them for the needs of early childhood, taking into account its specific characteristics. From a certain point of view, it also blurs the boundaries between live activation – interactive theatre, kinetic scenography and multimedia kinetic composition. Multimedia can thus be seen as a narrative-visual language of non-verbal theatre for toddlers.

Author Biography

Hana Strejčková, Faculty of Music and Dance, Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, Czech Republic

HANA STREJČKOVÁ (PhD) is a theatre maker, teacher, and researcher based at the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU) and Palacký University in Olomouc (UPOL). Her work focuses on contemporary theatre with an emphasis on theatre for Early Years, young and diverse audiences, postdramatic forms and site-specific performance. She explores the intersections of theatre, memory, and space, and examines how theatrical language can communicate across generational and cultural contexts. In addition to her academic research and publishing activities, she creates original performances and leads educational programs in the field of applied and inclusive  theatre.
She is a member of the executive committee Czech ASSITEJ and a member of the international executive board of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) and serves as the chair of Young Critics Workshops organized under its auspices.

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Published

2026-11-05

How to Cite

Strejčková, H. (2026). Multimedia as Kinetic Scenography and an Experimental Form of Narrative in Contemporary Non-Verbal Theatre for Toddlers . Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai - Dramatica, 70(2), 103–114. Retrieved from https://www.dramatica.ro/index.php/j/article/view/421

Issue

Vol. 70 No. 2 (2025): Film, Video, Digital and AI in Theatre Stages, IATC & Doctoral School FTF-UBB, Cluj, Romania, 2025

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.