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Tomáš Kubínek's internationally acclaimed solo performances
play to packed theaters around the world. After a sold-out run on Broadway,
The New York Times lauded his work as "Absolutely expert!"
"Hilarious and enormously talented!" trumpeted England's Time Out, after
appearances at London's Royal Festival Hall.
A collision of theatre and music-hall, his exuberant
one-man show is equal parts comic brilliance, virtuosic vaudeville and
irresistible charm.
"Physical Poet and Verbal Acrobat!
Needless Risk-Taker...Professor of Fantastically Useless Inventions...Arduous
Advocate of The Commonplace Miracle.
Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible..."
Tomáš Kubínek - (toh-mawsh koo-bee-neck), was born in Prague and at the age of
was smuggled out of the country by his parents to escape the 1968 Soviet
invasion of Czechoslovakia.
After two months in a refugee camp in Austria, the
Kubínek family was granted asylum in Canada and it was there, in
St. Catharines, Ontario, that Tomáš, age 5, witnessed his first circus.
He became passionately interested in clowns, circus,
theater and magic and his perplexed yet well-adjusted parents took him
to see every show that passed through town.
At age 9 he presented his first performance before a circle of elderly
magicians. By age 13 he had an agent. He performed in coffee-houses between
folk-music acts and while still in his teens, he made his circus debut
with a Brazilian clown duo as the rear half of a two-person horse. There
was no turning back...
Working any and all jobs related to showbiz, the enterprising
Mr. Kubínek was able to save money and travel to Europe to study
with some of the world's greatest teachers of theatre including; Monika
Pagneaux, Pierre Byland, Jaques Lecoq and Boleslav Polívka.
These studies, combined with his own tireless experiments
in the art of live performance, led to the creation of his award-winning
solo stage shows which play to capacity crowds at theaters, international
arts festivals, and in television broadcasts throughout the world.
Besides his solo work, Mr. Kubínek has had the
great fortune of working with brilliantly talented theatre artists around
the globe. He has been featured on Czech National Television with the
celebrated actor and clown Boleslav
Polívka on Mr. Polívka's annual TV Specials.
With writer and comedian Frank van Keeken he has performed
in numerous guerilla-style absurdist theater sketches at the HBO Workspace
in Los Angeles.
With Britain's THE RIGHT SIZE physical theatre company Mr. Kubínek
created "MOOSE",
a surreal comedy about three men braving the elements of the Arctic Tundra.
The play toured europe for one year and received Time Out Magazine's #1
Critic's Choice Award.
With director, writer and clown Jim Jackson, Mr. Kubínek co-created
and starred in "BED"
, a solo show about the nightmarish adventures of an insomniac cabaret
artist imprisoned in his hotel room.
Mr. Kubínek has appeared with the U.S. theatrical circus CIRCUS
FLORA. As "guest villain", he masterminded an elephant kidnapping,
terrorized spectators and later plummeted 40 feet into the ring after
fencing on the high-wire with Tino Wallenda of The Flying Wallendas.
Mr. Kubínek has also worked as a director, collaborating on the
work of other solo artists and theater companies. Most recently he co-created
and directed "NOT
YET, AT ALL" , a one-woman show starring Edith Tankus.
Mr. Kubínek is the recipient of numerous international
awards including; The Moers Comedy Prize from The International Comedy
Arts Festival in Germany, The Schneestern Award from the International
Festival of Humor in Arosa, Switzerland, and The Samuel Beckett Theatre
Award from The Dublin Theater Festival in Ireland.
Perhaps his most illustrious award is "The
Gold Fly-Swatter". He was proclaimed International Grand Champion
of Housefly-Catching at the Moucheville Open in Moravia, beating competitors
from twelve other nations.
TEATRO GOLDONI, VENICE, ITALY
THE NEW VICTORY THEATER, NEW YORK
HANCHER AUDITORIUM, IOWA CITY
PURCELL ROOM, SOUTH BANK CENTER, LONDON
OSLO FREEDOM FORUM, NORWAY
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF HONG KONG
BING CONCERT HALL, STANFORD UNIVERSITY
THE DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL, IRELAND
THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC
ZELLERBACH PLAYHOUSE, BERKELEY
SASCH HALL, FLORENCE, ITALY
THE MONDAVI CENTER, UCAL DAVIS
THE SINGAPORE ARTS FESTIVAL
THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, BOSTON
HOLLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS, OMAHA
JYV€SKYL€ ARTS FESTIVAL, FINLAND
TEATRO PIRANDELLO, SICILY
TEATRO ANGRENSE, TERCEIRA, PORTUGAL
TEATRO DIMITRI, SWITZERLAND
ASAHI HALL, TOKYO, JAPAN
THEATRE DES CELESTINS, LYON, FRANCE
THE ARTS FESTIVAL OF ATLANTA
THE BRIGHTON ARTS FESTIVAL, ENGLAND
SKIRBALL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, LOS ANGELES
THE TALIESIN CENTER, SWANSEA, WALES
BEEKMAN AUDITORIUM, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
CENTER FOR THE ARTS, VIRGINIA TECH
THE ANNENBERG CENTER, PHILADELPHIA
THE DAWSON CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL, YUKON
THE BABORO FESTIVAL, GALWAY, IRELAND
TEATRO IL ROSETTI, TRIESTE, ITALY
FESTIVAL OF HUMOR, MADRID, SPAIN
ANCHORAGE ARTS CENTRE, ALASKA
HUMOROLOGIE FESTIVAL, BELGIUM
LINZ KULTUR FESTIVAL, AUSTRIA
THE KRANNERT CENTER, ILLINOIS
THE EMPIRE CENTER, ALBANY, NEW YORK
THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
FOOLSPROOF HUMOR FESTIVAL, SEATTLE
CRATERIAN GINGER ROGERS THEATER, OREGON
JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CTR., WISCONSIN
THE LIED CENTER, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
PREMIERE DANCE THEATER, TORONTO, CANADA
MACON OPERA HOUSE, MACON, GEORGIA
SHEA'S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BUFFALO
THE FLYNN CENTER, VERMONT
OSH KOSH OPERA HOUSE, WISCONSIN
STEVENS CENTER, WINST-SALEM, N.CAROLINA
BOMHARD THEATER, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, PHOENIX
OCEAN REEF CULTURAL CENTER, KEY LARGO
AROSA HUMOR FESTIVAL, SWITZERLAND
PIAZZA FESTIVAL, AUGSBURG, GERMANY
IMPULSE 13, DORNBIRN, AUSTRIA
COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL, MOERS, GERMANY
PITTSBURGH FIRST NIGHT, PENNSYLVANIA
THE RITZ THEATER, TALLADEGA, ALABAMA
CENTER OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS, ST. LOUIS
ADMIRAL THEATER, BREMERTON, WASHINGTON
VAN WEZEL THEATER, SARASOTA, FLORIDA
STADTTHEATER KOBLENZ, GERMANY
MISHLER THEATER, ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA
PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ETC. ETC...
NOTICE, - IF YOU ARE READING THIS FAR, YOU ARE TOO NOSY. SUFFICE IT TO
SAY HE HAS PUT A LOT OF MILES ON THE TWIN-ENGINE'S TACHOMETER, YOU NEEDN'T
READ ANY FURTHER... BASICALLY THE MESSAGE IS THAT THIS IS A MASSIVE VOLUME
OF WORK AND TRAVEL WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND THAT QUITE A FEW RESPECTABLE
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS AND ORGANIZERS HAVE BEEN "HAD", "DUPED" AND CHARMED
OUT OF LARGE SUMS OF MONEY AND MR. KUBÍNEK HAS MANAGED TO GET AWAY UNHARMED
LEAVING A DAZED AND BEAMING PUBLIC WALKING AIMLESSLY THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT-TIME
STREETS OF THEIR TOWNS AND CITIES, NEVER TO BE THE SAME... LOVERS HAVE
HAD THEIR FIRST DATES AT HIS PERFORMANCES, CHILDREN BEEN INTRODUCED TO
THE MAGIC AND POWER OF THEATER, THE ELDERLY AT DEATH'S DOOR FINALLY HAVING
WITNESSED THE QUINTESSENTIAL ULTIMATE SOLO ARTIST OF THEIR GOLDEN LIVES,
CRIMINALS HAVE HAD THEIR HEARTS OPENED AND BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO RESPECTABLE
PILLARS OF SOCIETY, CROOKED POLITICIANS HAVE SEEN THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS,
SHY STUTTERING WALLFLOWERS BEEN CATAPULTED INTO MIGHTY OPERATIC DIVAS
AND TIMID MEN WITH PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES BLOSSOMED INTO FEROCIOUS LEADERS
ABLE TO LEAD THEIR NATIONS IN THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN
AND TOWARDS AN AWAKENING TO THE SACREDNESS OF THE EVER-PRESENT AND LARGELY
OVERSEEN MIRACLE OF OUR MERE EXISTENCE IN THIS EVER-EVOLVING, MAGICAL,
OVERWHELMINGLY TRAGIC AND BEAUTIFUL UNIVERSE. ALL THIS FROM A LITTLE FELLOW
WHO WEIGHS LESS THAN 130 POUNDS AND IS 70% WATER.
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