Helena Štáchová

[1] Štáchová, who was born in Prague in 1944, began performing at the Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre after completing secondary school.

[1] Mánička, who quickly became a popular character, was a friend of the established father-son puppets, Spejbl and Hurvínek.

[1] In 1971, Kirschner created a new grandmother puppet, Mrs. Kateřina, specifically for Štáchová, which added another female character to the ensemble.

[1] In addition to her puppetry and voice acting on television shows, such as The Simpsons, Štáchová also authored several books and directed and wrote her own plays.

[1] In 2016, actress Marie Šimsová began performing in the role of the puppet, Mánička, due to Štáchová's declining health.