THE NEVERENDING STORY

Premier date: 24.11.2023.

Children Stage

Duration: 75'

THE NEVERENDING STORY

Premier date: 24.11.2023.

Children Stage

Duration: 75'

The Neverending Story is the most popular novel for children and young adults by the famous German writer Michael Ende....

Author: Michael Ende / David S. Craig
Direction and adaptation: Ana Tomović
Playwright: Đorđe Kosić
Translation: Marija Stojanović
Costume and mask design: Momirka Bailović
Set design: Teodora Knežević, Marta Dogan
Music and sound design: Aca Pejčić
Video design: Ivan Baletić, Marko Kovačević
Stage movement: Damjan Kecojević
Costume Design Assistant: Aleksandra Vučković

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Welcome to the Neverending Story!

Dear children,
Did you know that you have a genuine superpower? It’s true! It’s imagination. You can use it to create entire worlds full of magical creatures and all kinds of wonders. You can have wings in your imagination simply because you want to.
If you don’t believe us, try it: just close your eyes, imagine whatever you like and – there it is, in front of your eyes.
We’ll tell you another secret – all creatures from imagination and dreams live together, in one unique world – Fantastica.
In The Neverending Story, we learn what happens when the world of Fantastica is in danger. The main character, the boy Bastian, with the help of a mysterious book, gets the opportunity to save Fantastica from the Nothing that lurks around the corner.
But Bastian will not be alone in this, dear children – he will get help from the brave hunter Atreyu, the faithful horse Artax, the luck dragon Falkor, and many other characters who will come to life before your eyes! You will travel to the far reaches of Fantastica, meet its wonderful inhabitants and participate in saving it. All that matters is that you believe!

Đorđe Kosić

Role play

Bastian

Relja Janković

Atreyu

Mladen Lero

Bastian’s Father, Gmork

Strahinja Blažić

Bookseller, Artax, Gnome Kid

Miloš Anđelković

Elder, Eribo, Engiwook, Gnome Kid, Creature of Darkness

Nikola Kerkez

Cairon, Falkor

Mladen Vuković

Gnome, Troll, Maya, Bully 1

Jelena Ćuruvija Đurica

Morla the Ancient, Urgl, Bully 3, Child of the Sassafrans, Creature of Darkness

Dubravka Kovjanić

Childlike Empress, Uyulala, Bully 2, Gnome Kid, Adult Sassafrans

Maja Jovanović Spasojević

Childlike Empress, Uyulala, Bully 2, Gnome Kid, Adult Sassafrans

Ivana Adžić

Janitor, Purple Buffalo, Child of the Sassafrans, Creature of Darkness

Goran Balančević

Adult Sassafrans

Marta Đurica

A Word from the Director

The emotions in The Neverending Story are extremely strong. Bastian is a boy who experiences a great emotional crisis due to the loss of his mother. In addition, he has almost no contact with his father, and he does not fit in at school, where he is exposed to peer violence. Bastian's emotional world is about to collapse.
Reading The Neverending Story, he identifies with the hero Atreyu and perceives his struggles to save the Childlike Empress as his own, which gives him hope that the world of Fantastica, and also his own world, can be saved from the Nothing.
This story is about a fight for a fragile child's soul - one that must not give in to great sadness and that gives us hope that it is possible to change difficult circumstances and defeat a stronger enemy.
The Neverending Story strongly marked my childhood and I look forward to showing it to new generations!

Ana Tomović

About the Writer

Michael Ende, the author of The Neverending Story, is considered one of the most famous German authors of the last century. His enchanting books have travelled the world, been translated into over 40 languages and printed in more than 20 million copies worldwide. (And believe me, that’s a lot of books!)
During the difficult times of the Second World War, young Michael found refuge in poetry. Although schools were closed, he read and wrote tirelessly. Already back then, he discovered the power of imagination and storytelling as a refuge from even the most difficult moments.
He wrote a large number of novels, short stories and poetry, both for children and adults. His novels The Neverending Story, Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver, Momo and The Night of Wishes continue to be very popular.
The Neverending Story is certainly his most famous work, and many people learned about it through a movie by the famous German director Wolfgang Petersen. Both the movie and its soundtrack were a super hit!

Magical Creatures of Fantastica

Here is a small glossary of some of the creatures you will see in the world of Fantastica:

Centaur
Cairon, the herald of The Childlike Empress, who comes to send Atreyu to his Great Quest, belongs to the centaur family. Centaurs are mythical creatures, from the ancient Greek mythology, with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. According to legends, they lived in forests and hills, and were known for their speed and strength. Centaurs were often depicted as wise teachers or brave warriors. One of the most famous centaur stories is about Heron, who was known for his wisdom and was the teacher of many heroes from Greek myths.

Dragon
Falkor is a special kind of dragon – a luck dragon! But dragons are powerful and magical creatures that appear in various forms in myths and legends around the world. In Western mythology, dragons are often depicted as large, winged, fire-breathing reptiles. In Chinese tradition, dragons were more often depicted as symbols of luck and wisdom, with long serpentine bodies and no wings. Every culture has its own unique story about dragons, but they always represent power and mystery.

Gnome
The Gnomics, a scientific couple who help Atreyu, are named after Gnomes – small, magical creatures that come from European folklore traditions, particularly the Scandinavian and Germanic lore. They live underground or in forests, guarding treasure or nature. Gnomes are known for their wisdom, mastery of crafts, and ability to communicate with animals. Although they generally avoid humans, they are believed to help nature and animals in various ways.

Werewolf
Werewolves are terrifying creatures from myths and legends able to transform from human to wolf. According to folk beliefs, a man becomes a werewolf when he is bitten by another werewolf, or under the influence of a spell. In folklore, they are depicted as powerful beings who live between two worlds, the world of humans and nature – just as Gmork, the evil werewolf of the story, lives between the world of Fantastica and the world of humans.

Đorđe Kosić

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