The Puppet Theatre “Pinocchio” was founded as the Travelling Theatre “Pinocchio” in 1972. In addition to Živomir Joković, the theatre’s founder, the small team that performed plays throughout Serbia initially consisted of just three actors: Vera Ignjatović, Branislava Stanišić and Jovan Kovačev. During the first year of the Theatre’s existence, Slobodan Herceg, Boško Banjeglav, Nadežda Damjanović, Slobodan Aleksić and others joined. With a performance at the Meeting of Puppet Theatres of Serbia in Novi Sad, with the play “Two Tales”, on 13 September 1972, the Theatre was officially opened, and the award for introducing new theatrical forms in puppetry was a recognition of the idea of establishing a travelling puppet theatre. On April 1, 1973, “Pinocchio” was given its headquarters in Zemun, at the Workers’ University, when it changed its name to the “Pinocchio” Puppet Theater. The first play performed on the Zemun stage, in the original theater building, was “It Happened in a Puppet Theater,” in May 1973, and in September of the same year, the Theater toured Germany with this play. In 1978, “Pinocchio” was granted the status of a permanent Belgrade theater, and to this day it remains the only puppet theater in Belgrade. Since then, in addition to small theater forms, large ensemble plays have been performed, and a permanent acting ensemble has also been formed. “Pinocchio” begins to gather a large number of collaborators – writers, directors, visual artists, composers, and among the collaborators are the most significant names of artists from the country and abroad. The Director of the Theatre Živomir Joković, who held this position from the establishment of the Theatre in 1972 until his retirement, was replaced in 1998 by playwright Igor Bojović. Since 2016, the acting director has been director Vladimir Lazić. The new acting director is Vladan Đurković.
The repertoire is based on performances based on classical fairy tales, myths, legends and epic poetry, as well as contemporary dramatic texts. Various puppetry techniques and forms are used, often in combination with shadow theatre and acting. The theater has so far participated in numerous domestic and international festivals (Italy, Greece, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Poland, Taiwan, India, Canada, etc.) and has won a number of significant awards and recognitions. The theater's repertoire includes over thirty plays that are performed daily on its home stage and on numerous guest stages. The "Pinocchio" Theater prepares five premieres and performs about 250 plays every year.
The theater is under the patronage of the City Assembly.
The "Pinocchio" Theater has 26 full-time members and numerous associates
