The performance starts with a heartwarming story of the creation of the Roma. It is followed by a story about a boy whose adventures begin after having made love with the daughter of the king. We see discrimination at school, dragons, witches, the indispensable apple/forbidden fruit and a happy end. The story is based on Milena Hübschmann’s book Roma Fairytales, which is not intended primarily for children. There is no clear-cut good–evil or fixed black-and-white system. Rather, it is an allegory of the unbalanced, complicated, unpredictable and overwhelming reality of human life. The collection reflects the authentic Roma narratives, which have been passed down through the generations only in an oral tradition, and Pavla Dombrovská managed to go beyond the superficial enchantment and reach an understanding of the dramatic meaning of the texts to display the Roma feeling for life. Profound meaning is supported by a spell of simplicity and humour that adds energy and life to the performance.

Paramisa is one of the selected performances from Divadlo Líšeň; Pavla Dombrovská is the director and author.