Bolek Polívka

Bolek Polívka was born Boleslav Polívka on July 31, 1949, in Vizovice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia. His father was an amateur actor. Young Bolek Polivka studied acting at the Drama Academy in Brno. He was fond of pantomime and soon began his performances at the theatre "Na Provazku" in Brno.

Polívka began his career in film and television in 1976, in a TV comedy 'Traja chrobáci' (Just Cute). He played leading and supporting roles in more than 30 films and television productions made in Europe, mainly in Czechoslovakia, then in Czech Republic. Some of his film works were actually adaptations of his theatrical plays. Polívka gained popularity during the 1980's for his clownery and comic performances in his TV slapsticks titled 'Mané Bolka Polívky' (The Menage of Bolek Polivka). He has been involved in a continuous and fruitful collaboration with the acclaimed Czech film director Vera Chytilová. Polívka received awards and nominations at several European film festivals, he was also awarded for his theatrical works.

Bolek Polívka is the owner and artistic leader of his theatre in Brno called Divadlo Bolka Polívky (The Theatre of Bolek Polívka). He is known for his cute and witty ideas and a variety of crazy and spectacular competitions, such as the World Championship in Catching Flies or throwing a pop-gun into the rye field. Bolek Polívka collaborated with the renown mime Vyacheslav Polunin. In 2001 Polunin organized the New Carnival within the framework of the World Theatre Olympics, in the Hermitage Gardens in Moscow. There Bolek Polívka performed among some of the best acting comedians of the 20th century, such as Vyacheslav Polunin, Django Edwards, Jérôme Deschamps, Franz-Joseph Bogner, Leo Bassi, Gennadiy Khazanov, Leonid Yarmolnik, the duo of David Shiner and Bill Irwin, and over a hundred of other comediens and mimes from all over the world.