A potted history of the black theatre

Even though the principle of the black cabinet (theatre) goes back several centuries, it has not been forgotten, if anything the opposite.
One could say that the cradle of black theatre was, at least according to reputation, ancient China during the dynasty of Ming syn Liang under the government of the Emperor Vang-Pang. Reputation also says: "The Emperor was very sad when his son died and found it difficult to come to terms with his death". However, in those days a certain Mang-ti belonged to the circle of court magicians. Using light and darkness, the contrast of black and white and the so-called black cabinet, he managed to evoke for the Emperor an illusion of his son and thus to subdue his grief for at least a moment.
The journey of this art from China to Europe was certainly neither short nor simple. What is certain is that from its beginnings this technique and its possibilities have been perfected in all aspects and now innumerable artists, illusionists, jugglers and magicians, use, for better or worse, the principles of the black cabinet in their performances.
The technique has been around the Czech lands and has been developed into various charming stories for almost half a century.

In the fifties of the 20th century somewhere in France, the technique of the black cabinet appealed to the puppeteer George Lafaye. The story repeated itself, but this time in the eighties in the then Czechoslovakia with the artist, painter and founder of the creative theatre ANIMATO Jan Pajer *1960, who found in it the possibility of adding depth and space to the traditional two-dimensionality of the artist's canvas.
Since the black theatre is mainly a visual sensation which uses the fantasies of its creators to play with the fantasies visualised, suggested and amplified by the most various theatrical tricks, this genre has become intelligible to everyone who likes at least for a time to drag themselves from reality and forget the problems of today's hyper-technical world.

In its fifteenth season the ANIMATO black theatre links up with the classic black theatre tradition of this genre which for more tan half a century has been an inseparable part of Czech culture.

The basis of the ANIMATO theatre is the close creative and production team which has crystallised around more than fifteen collaborations into the healthy core of the company.

Despite understandable inaugural difficulties with finding a permanent theatre stage, as well as financial and other operating problems during the stormy period of 1989 (the time of the revolution) the theatre company has, after passing through several megalomaniac, above all unsuitable spaces, managed to find a permanent venue in the more chamber-like, viewer-friendly spaces in the heart of Prague, the Savarin Palace.
As well as theatre performances for children and adults, various cultural and social events, fashion shows, concerts, etc. are held in this completely refurbished space.