Led by writer and puppeteer Toni Rumbau, this international event explores different ways of understanding and experimenting with glove-puppet theatre. From the popular tradition of the Italian company I Burattini di Mattia to the contemporary approach of the French Cia. L’Alinéa, the event invites audiences to discover the richness and diversity of an age-old performance language that continues to evolve and reinvent itself. An opportunity to delve into one of Europe’s most deeply rooted puppetry traditions and discover how it engages with contemporary performance practices.

TRE SERVI ALLA PROVA, by I Burattini di Mattia (Italy)
12 pm / Sala Miquelet, Teatre Sagarra

In Tre Servi alla prova (Three Servants Put to the Test), Dottor Balanzone, a prestigious lawyer, throws a party at his villa and decides to frighten his three servants with costumes and practical jokes. Amid trickery and comic situations, he discovers which of the three — Fagiolino, Sganapino or Sandrone — is the cleverest and bravest, in a story that culminates in a flurry of stick blows.

I Burattini di Mattia, the company founded by Mattia Zecchi, grew out of a passion for glove puppets that has accompanied him since childhood. At just eight years old, he presented his first public performance, and at fourteen he founded his own company. Trained in the Bolognese tradition under masters such as Romano Danielli, Marco Iaboli and William Melloni, Zecchi keeps this legacy alive by reinterpreting classic texts without losing the essence of glove-puppet theatre. In 2010, the company received the Benedetto Ravasio Award in recognition of its work preserving this tradition.

Text and direction: Mattia Zecchi.

PETITES HISTOIRES SANS PAROLES, by Cia. L’Alinéa (France)
1 pm / Sala Gran, Teatre Sagarra

Petites histoires sans paroles (Little Wordless Stories) is a performance comprising three short pieces, each lasting 15 minutes, in which puppets interact with jazz music and improvisation. Featuring puppeteer Brice Coupey and double bassist Jean-Luc Ponthieux, each performance becomes a unique experience shaped by the present moment, attentive listening and a sense of complicity with the audience. The three pieces that make up the performance are:

L’Histoire du Sac (The Story of the Sack), in which three puppets revisit the myth of the Big Bad Wolf; Petit Sisyphe (Little Sisyphus), a moonlike character who confronts the bare hand that constitutes him; and Œdipe (Oedipus), in which the character draws his puppeteer out of hiding in an attempt to win his freedom.

Bringing together these three short pieces, as playful as they are demanding, offers an opportunity to explore the evolution of glove puppetry, from its traditional form to more contemporary approaches. This creation by Brice Coupey emerged from his encounter with musician Jean-Luc Ponthieux and the distinctive direction of three directors: Pierre Blaise, Alain Recoing and Christian Remer.

La Compagnie L’Alinéa, founded by performer and puppeteer Brice Coupey, explores the relationship between contemporary puppetry and other artistic disciplines, such as music, video and text-based theatre. A glove-puppetry specialist, Coupey has spent more than twenty years creating and passing on the art of puppetry. He has also taught and directed training programmes at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette (ESNAM) in Charleville-Mézières. Musician and double bassist Jean-Luc Ponthieux brings to this stage universe a career rooted in French contemporary jazz, both as a performer and a composer.

On stage: Puppeteer: Brice Coupey / Musician: Jean-Luc Ponthieux
Direction: Alain Recoing, Pierre Blaise and Christian Remer

Mediation and curation: Toni Rumbau is a puppeteer and writer, and the founder of the IF Barcelona festival. He also founded the historic Barcelona-based company La Fanfarra (1976–2015), the Teatre Malic (1984–2002) and the Festival d’Òpera de Butxaca i Noves Creacions (1993). He is also the editor of the digital magazines Putxinelli.cat and Titeresante.es. His recent works include El Titellaire, el Doble i l’Ombra (2023) and A Mans Lliures (2025).