Kumku Yamki

Project type

Physical Puppet Theater

Date

2023-2025

Location

Athens, Greece

Role

Puppeteer

KumkuYamki is a physical puppet theatre performance in which the bodies of the performers both serve the body of the puppet and engage in dialogue with it, in an attempt to explore and express the capabilities and needs of the human body.

One puppet named KumkuYamki, three puppeteers, four chairs. The puppet comes to life through the continuous animation by the puppeteers: one controls the head and one arm, another the other arm and the pelvis, and the third the legs. The roles constantly shift, requiring deep listening and cooperation among the performers so that the puppet can breathe, look, and live as another living being on stage—often making us wonder: do the puppeteers move the puppet, or does the puppet move the puppeteers?

Is the puppet their childhood toy, or is it the very child they once were, whom they are calling back to life?


KumkuYamki was developed at K.A.N.O. Creative Space during 2023–2024 and has toured in Greece,France, Slovenia, Austria, Spain.

The performance is intended for adults, teenagers, and children.

Text / Direction / Set Design: Zoe Vlassi
Puppet Construction: Katarina Cakova / Stathis Markopoulos
Original Music: Thanos Kosmidis
Assistant Director: Dimitra Skempi
Movement Direction: Evangelia Chatzitzanou
Costume Design: Maria Panagiotou
Lighting Design: Natassa Tapaki
Video: Ioannis Kampanis
Photography: Ioannis Kampanis / Karol Jarek

Performers: Stella Maggana / Elina Koliaki / Zoe Vlassi

Production: K.A.N.O. Creative Space

Duration: 50 minutes

Credits

About the project