From Nanoparticles to Caravans: Visual Theatre Festival Tallinn Treff to Present 120 Performances in Four Days

The 14th international visual theatre festival Tallinn Treff will take place in Tallinn from May 8 to 11. For the first time in the festival’s history, Treff will present a special caravan theatre programme, host four productions from the international large-scale project Transport, and display a window exhibition by artist Urmas Lüüs.

During the four festival days, Treff will feature 19 productions and nearly 120 performances, most of which will be presented as part of the caravan theatre programme at Tornide väljak. In addition, theatre enthusiasts can attend the main programme performances at the Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences, Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Von Krahl Theatre, and Sakala 3 Theatre House. The selection ranges from hyperrealistic object theatre to puppet stand-up, and from the vibrancy of physical theatre to nanoparticles vibrating under a microscope.

“Visual theatre festivals differ from conventional theatre primarily through their boldness in exploring new forms,” said festival director Leino Rei. “Each performance, born from the collision of intriguing content and form, lasts on average between 30 minutes to an hour, allowing the audience to see multiple shows in one evening.” According to Rei, this creates a rich and dynamic theatre experience, offering audiences diverse works from artists and countries around the world in a short amount of time. “This format encourages open-mindedness, experimentation with new forms, and offers a chance to dive deep into the specificities of visual theatre without a major time investment,” Rei explained.

As part of the caravan theatre special programme, small theatre venues built into camper vans will arrive from Finland, Germany, France, and Estonia. These caravan theatres accommodate 3 to 15 audience members at a time, with performance durations ranging from 7 to 25 minutes.

The international large-scale project Transport, focused on the theme of globalisation, forms another special segment of the festival. Of the six hyperrealistic puppet productions being developed as part of this project, four will be presented to Treff audiences. 

On May 8, the opening day of the festival, artist Urmas Lüüs, who draws inspiration from contemporary puppet theatre, will open his exhibition titled Assemblymanualless in the display windows of the Museum of Puppetry Arts. The exhibition explores what it means to grow into a human being and asks: how do you put yourself together correctly when all the pieces come from different sets?

Festival programme and more information: noorsooteater.ee/en/treff