Five actors play a troop of young dogs on stage. Dress-up suits are not what they need for that. Their energetic play and agile bodies are enough for them. They sniff and frolic, jump up against each other and fight over who in the group is the leader. That is always a different dog. But their real boss is a human. Who is sleeping on the floor. It is a giant, pink doll. And when the dog puppies make the puppet move, POPPY comes to life.

Visual playwright Jef Van gestel conceived and directed this wonderful, playful performance for everyone ages 5 and up. He has made a name for himself with the delightful, wild imagination with which he depicts recognizable themes. PUPPY/POPPY is about daring to take space, about leading and following and about finding your place in a group. And the game between the dogs and the human puppet makes it clear what it is like to be the boss of someone else. Jef Van gestel: ‘The special thing is that POPPY can only move because of the puppies, which exposes a crazy power relationship. The question is who is the real boss. Sometimes POPPY seems to harass the puppies, but in the end it is they who bring him to life.’