More than two million large and small visitors have attended Stefan Flinner’s performances at Dresden Zoo since 1991.
Dear Mr. Flinner, which events from 30 years at Dresden Zoo do you remember particularly well?
There are so many moments. For example, when a child gave me one euro and I asked if I could buy a cup of coffee with it. Then came the answer: ‘No, the money is for feed for the goat!’. Another child once gave me a piece of chocolate and I was about to take a bite when they say: ‘This is for the Kasper’. The children relate to the characters and I’m very happy about that. My favorite dolls are Kasper and Struppi, the dog. Once a punk thanked me on the old market. In the meantime, parents and grandparents come here with their children and grandchildren, who saw me as children, and ask me about it. It makes me particularly proud when other puppeteers praise my performances or when some visitors who still know my predecessor Egon Gäble say that it would be just as nice as it was back then. A spectator who herself came from a puppeteer ensemble once said: ‘My heart opens up when you play’.
Which animals do you like best at Dresden Zoo and what do you do in the breaks between shows?
I think the meerkats are very cute. Some just want to go to the big animals. I notice this with the coloring sheets, which I also create and hand out especially for the children to color, because the elephants are particularly popular. During the breaks I sometimes take a short walk from here to the penguins, or the other way around to the giraffes and lions and back again. At lunchtime I sometimes have a bite to eat at the kangaroo stop.
What do you wish for your 30th stage anniversary?
Actually nothing. Because I feel an inner satisfaction with what I’ve achieved and can’t believe where the 30 years are. They passed by in a flash.
A notice: The Zookasper plays until October 31 if the weather is nice. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday as well as on Saxon public holidays at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
More about the Zookasper can be found here.
Contact and further information
Zoo Dresden GmbH
Tiergartenstrasse 1
01219 Dresden
Phone 0351 – 47 80 60
[email protected]
www.zoo-dresden.de
here go to the zoo world on sächsische.de
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