The heart-warming tale of Franz Kafka’s letters to a little girl comes to life
Franz Kafka’s Doll, a captivating new production by the team behind the award-winning STILL! A Statue That Travelled the World, brings a timeless story of empathy, imagination and loss to the stage. Inspired by a real-life anecdote about Kafka comforting a young girl who lost her doll, the play premieres this February as part of the Nicosia International Festival.
Best of all, it is a performance suitable for all ages and backgrounds.
‘Whatever we love may be lost, but love will return in another form…’. This is one of the messages of the performance, a show that brings to life a touching story about love, grief and hope. Blending live music, vivid imagery and minimal dialogue, it transcends language barriers, offering a heart-warming experience for children and adults alike.
What is most remarkable about Franz Kafka’s Doll is it is based on a story believed to be true. The story goes – on a park visit one day, Kafka met a little girl who was crying over her lost doll. To comfort her, Kafka told the girl that the doll had gone on a long journey and over the following weeks, he wrote her letters ‘from the doll’ recounting her adventures.
The anecdote is well-known and is even the basis of Larissa Theule’s book Kafka and the Doll. The upcoming Nicosia performances on February 8 and 9 will be its Cyprus debut, presented by a Cypriot cast and producers.
“I fell in love with this story from the first time I read it,” says Stavros Stavrou who wrote the production’s text and lyrics. “It is a story full of emotion, imagination and empathy. If it is indeed a true story, it is proof of Kafka’s profound empathy and creativity, even in his final years. It is all these characteristics we have tried to embody in the performance.”
Welcoming audiences as young as four, it is no easy feat to present a performance that deals with both life’s joy and sorrow. “The work deals with themes such as loss, empathy, coping with grief, and the power of true love. Some of these themes are not often addressed in performances aimed at children, making this rather a big challenge for the creative team,” Stavros explains.
To convey the messages and captivate audiences of all ages and spoken languages, the performance has taken a non-verbal approach. Though its main language is Greek, music and visuals are what brings the tale to life and Stavros and the team have strongly emphasised this.
“As with every performance aimed at children, our ‘tools’ are imagery, music and the few words of the play. In this way, our goal is to create our own universe, through which we hope to touch the hearts of our young audience.”
With just two weeks to go until the premiere, Stavros says live music accompanies the performance from the moment the stage is lit up until the very end. Each scene is treated with a cinematic approach, music and lyrics being a major component.
“The play is divided into 15 scenes, each one of which is a different ‘world’. The songs are used firstly to take the story forward and secondly to highlight the sentimental status of the characters.”
The great success of the team’s previous performance, STILL!, fascinated audiences around the world and created high expectations for this new production, again directed by Kostas Silverstros.
“We feel like family,” Stavrou says after having spent the past three years working on performances of STILL! in front of worldwide audiences. All members of the new production live and work in Cyprus, except composer Thodoris Economou, who is one of the leading theatre composers in Greece.
His involvement too is an indication that Cyprus’ art scene is growing, with many remarkable shows and artists now bring brought to stage. “In recent years, tremendous strides have been made in the field of performing arts in Cyprus, and the results are now visible. There is a lot of talent out there and young people working hard for their art. Certainly, there is more that can be done, but I believe we are on the right path,” says Stavrou.
For Franz Kafka’s Doll’s expected success, Stavrou has the Nicosia International Festival to thank, saying it has placed great emphasis on performing arts for children in recent years, a feat that is important for the island’s cultural education.
“After all,” he says, “it was through the Nicosia International Festival that STILL! began its journey back in 2021. This year, Franz Kafka’s Doll is one of three productions for children hosted by the festival. Of course, Franz Kafka’s Doll will also travel to other cities in Cyprus, and we are very happy about that.”
After its premiere in Nicosia, the show will take the stage in Larnaca on February 15, Paphos on February 22 and Limassol on March 9. Audiences will have the opportunity to be enchanted by this magical tale, set in autumnal Berlin of 1923, navigating feelings of love and loss. Even if it is about a childhood doll.
Franz Kafka’s Doll
Theatrical production for children and adults. Part of the 5th Nicosia International Festival. Directed by Kostas Silvestros. February 8 and 9. Nicosia Municipal Theatre, Nicosia. €12. www.soldoutticketbox.com
