“From the rich repertoire of the 31st edition of the International Festival of Puppetry Art in Bielsko-Biała, we selected the performance Blind by Duda Paiva, an artist originally from Brazil. The performance was staged on May 16 at Banialuka. It was one of those shows that leave the spectator with a strange sense of emotion. Not everything can be named immediately, but it is difficult to remain indifferent to this performance. Especially since Paiva did not leave the audience solely in the role of spectators – he brought them onto the stage and ensured that a portion of the audience became part of the performance.
A personal story without pathos
Paiva tells of his own childhood and a serious illness. About pain, blisters on the body, and temporary loss of vision. However, he does not turn it into an autobiographical confession or a therapeutic admission. Blind functions more like a dream or a series of images from memory. Sometimes strange, sometimes funny, sometimes even unsettling.
Where does the human end and the puppet begin?
The most impressive aspect is the way Paiva works with puppets. These are not classical theatrical forms. The soft, foam rubber figures sometimes resemble parts of his own body – something between organism and fantasy. They merge with the actor, transform, and live at their own rhythm. At a certain point, it becomes difficult to distinguish the human from the puppet, and that is likely exactly the intention.
Light, sound, and the grotesque
In Blind, there is virtually no classical narrative. You do not follow the story step by step. Instead, you are carried away by the atmosphere of the performance – built through movement, light, sound, and music inspired by the traditions of the Afro-Brazilian Yoruba community. Paiva also knows how to surprise with humor. When the performance begins to feel too heavy, something grotesque or an absurd gesture suddenly appears to relieve the tension.
Illness, rejection, and rediscovering oneself
Blind touches on themes that could very easily be exaggerated: illness, exclusion, disability, or loneliness. Yet Paiva does not try to move the audience by force. He does not moralize. He does not build a monument to his own suffering. Rather, he shows how the body preserves memories and how these can be told through movement and imagery.
Puppet theatre, not just for children
Blind demonstrates that puppet theatre has long ceased to be just for children. It is a performance for adults, powerful in imagery and emotion. At Banialuka, the audience watched with great concentration – without nervous laughter or unnecessary murmuring. You could see that this theatre works.
A performance that stays with you
Blind is not an easy performance. There is no single possible interpretation, and it will likely not appeal to everyone. But it is hard to deny that it is a sincere performance with extraordinary theatrical imagination. Paiva has created something very personal that is simultaneously open to the spectator. Without pathos and without pretending that theatre must explain everything.”
Author: Agata Rucińska