Based on the acclaimed Taiwanese children’s book of the same name, GUJI GUJI tells the story of a very special duck. Unlike his brothers and sisters, Guji Guji has green skin and very sharp teeth, but Mama Duck loves him just the way he is. A chance meeting with a pair of crocodiles challenges everything Guji Guji thought he knew. A warm-hearted variation on the ugly duckling, GUJI GUJI about identity and belonging, love and friendship, and learning to think for yourself.
On stage: Sara Ribbenstedt, Julia Gumpert , Li Molnar Kronlid
Book by: Daniel Goldmann
Music and lyrics: Jörgen Aggeklint
Set and costume: Lina Serning
Photo: Martin Skoog
Light design: Pär Ibbing
Makeup artist: Isabelle de Boulloche
The journey was made with support from the Swedish Arts Council.
Kids Euro Festival. Now in its 10th year, Kids Euro Festival is one of the largest performing artsfestivals for children in America, bringing Europe’s most talented children’s entertainers to the DC metro area each fall for two weeks of free performances, concerts, workshops,movies, storytelling, puppetry, dance, magic, and cinema.
PERFORMANCES IN NEW YORK CITY
Saturday, October 28: 1 pm. Scandinavia House (58 Park Avenue).
Sunday, October 29: 2 pm. Queens Library, Flushing Branch (41-17 Main Street, Flushing, NY).
PERFORMANCES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Thursday, November 2: 9:30 am and 10:45 am. Performances held at various DC public schools.
Friday, November 3: 10:30 am. Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center (7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD).
Saturday, November 4: 11 am and 2 pm. House of Sweden (2900 K St. NW, Washington DC).
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GUJI GUJI’s United States tour was made possible with support from Hsin Yi Foundation, the Swedish Arts Council, the Barbro Osher Foundation, the Ministry of Culture in Taiwan, The Taipei Cultural Center in New York, the New York City General Consulate, and the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C. and Scandinavian House in New York.
”This is so good I keep forgetting it´s a childrenshow”
” The kids are sitting like meerkats, still , silent, and observant. Enchanted”
” A tribute to Chih Yuan Chens book/…/and an accolade to imagination, humour, and
the unlimited art of mime.” Minstengångiveckan
”Multi-layered children’s theatre about identity”
” A joyful journey with plenty of music, singing and dancing” Alingsås Tidning
” The tightly-knit ensemble, Martina Grimstedt, Sara Ribbenstedt and Ana Stanisic, play waddling ducks and sneaky crocodiles. They possess a great sense of physical dynamic acting and contact with the audience.” ”Daniel Goldmann’s motion-based directing and Jörgen Aggeklint’s effective theatre music create a dramatization that becomes, more or less, a mini-musical.”
”We learn to appreciate our differences and to challenge the things we take for granted.” SvD
”What a wonderful experience! Taiwanese kids loved the show!”… ”The music was sensational, and the actresses were very well trained. Every department of the show was all to the point.”
Francis Shen IFKIDSTHEATRE Taiwan
Born in Taiwan in 1975, Chih-Yuan Chen participated in the 12th Hsin Yi Picture Book Award and won the chance to publish his first book Memory. Next year, he won the first prize for On My Way to Buy Eggs, which depicts a girl’s imagination while running errands.
The US edition was selected as Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books of the Year. In 15th Hsin Yi Picture Book Award, his GUJI-GUJI won the second prize and has been published in 15 countries later. After its launch in the US, it was quickly on New York Times Best Seller.
In 2015, GUJI-GUJI won Sweden’s IBBY Peter Pan Prize. Many of his works celebrate family value and the joy of childhood, and are universally loved by parents and kids.
Photos: Martin Skoog
