Mánička

Do you know anything about my great puppet family? If not, you’re lucky I’m here to tell you about it.

Spejbl and Hurvínek (/s-payble & hoor-vee-neck/) are a beloved Czech puppet comedy duo created by the talented puppeteer, Prof. Josef Skupa. These charming characters have captured hearts worldwide, achieving remarkable international success. They have released numerous comedy albums and starred in their own captivating television show. Each album presents an engaging story about the lovable, albeit bumbling, father Josef Spejbl and his spirited son Hurvínek, who share their lives with another family in the same house.

Expanding their delightful universe, Spejbl and Hurvínek introduced Ms. Kateřina and Mánička. Together with their witty dog Žeryk, who can bark words, the family embarks on whimsical adventures. While primarily entertaining children, their comedy includes clever inside jokes that also delight adults. Their dedicated theatre in Prague’s Dejvice district is a hub of joy, featuring enchanting puppet performances.

The first of the puppets, invented by Josef Skupa in 1920, was Spejbl – a retrograde teacher, barely able to keep up with things happening around him. Skupa then performed with him in cabarets in Western Bohemia. In 1926, he brought to life his son, Hurvínek – a sometimes lazy, sometimes hyper-active, child. By that time Skupa had mastered performing with both of them, even providing voices for them, using his typical high-pitch voice for Hurvínek.

The success Skupa had had with both of the puppets was enough for him to establish a theatre dedicated to them, in 1930. Skupa handed over the puppeteering to other people in the theatre, and concentrated on providing voices and writing new plots for the two of them. The two characters have entertained both children and adults for decades. Later on, Ms. Kateřina and Mánička, along with Žeryk were introduced, making it more plausible for them to experience the most bizarre and entertaining adventures of all in their stories.

You can see this famous TV-series on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=spejbl+a+hurv%C3%ADnek