The National Theatre Bitola premieres "Pinocchio" by Carlo Collodi tonight, directed by Dejan Damjanovski. The lead role of the wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy will be played by actor Nikola Stefanov.

This is the first time in 30 years that the National Theatre Bitola has staged "Pinocchio" on its main stage. The last time was in 1996, when the lead role was played by actress Valentina Gramosli. She is also in today's production – but now in the role of Jiminy Cricket (the Conscience), the wooden puppet's guide.

"Before, I was a naive little puppet coming to life. Now I am the conscience of that wooden puppet. It is hard to be someone's conscience, but I believe – if everyone had their own little cricket, the world would be a better place," said Gramosli.

Also participating in the production are actors Marjan Gjorgjievski, Julijana Mirčevska, Maja Andonovska Ilievski, Katerina Anevska Drangovska and Aleksandar Dimitrovski, along with children from the "Babec" theatre school. The show is intended for audiences aged 7 to 77.

The theatre director noted that this production marks a significant moment in the year celebrating the centenary of the National Theatre Bitola – an institution that continues to be a living focal point of the Macedonian theatrical scene.