Czech Marionettes

Spejbl was made by woodcarver Karel Nosek from Pilsen based on an artistic design of Professor Josef Skupa in 1919-1920. The exact date of Spejbl´s first showing on stage is unknown, but it took place in the autumn of 1920 in the Pilsen Puppet Theatre where Spejbl appeared as a gymnast on the trapeze as a partner to Kaspárek, a famous character popular with Pilsen audiences, in an encore to a children´s play.