Discover the Exciting European and Local Acts at the International Theatre Festival in Pilsen
This year’s International Theatre Festival showcases remarkable international productions, headlined by the renowned and historic French group Comédie-Française, which is presenting its latest show Distance, directed by Tiago Rodrigues, a prominent Portuguese playwright and the director of the Avignon Festival. The performance takes place on both Earth and Mars in the year 2077 and is co-produced by the Pilsen Festival. The well-known German troupe, Berliner Ensemble, brings a unique play by Bertolt Brecht that dives into the meat industry in Germany during the late 1930s—entitled Saint Joan of Arc, directed by Dusan D. Pařízek.
The Budapest Ensemble’s production Proton is struggling due to zero state support, resulting in no performances in Hungary and a battle for survival. Their only chance lies in international venues. They will present their show in Pilsen and other prestigious European festivals. Parallax offers a personal story about the intricate aspects of Jewish identity, spanning three generations of a Hungarian family. The long-standing festival participant, Slovak National Theatre, will cap off the main festival events with a production of Tatarka directed by Dávid Paška, inspired by the works of Slovak author and intellectual Dominik Tatarka. Bartolomej Slzička’s narrative takes us through his journey as a student in Paris after the Munich Agreement, to becoming a celebrated writer in the Czechoslovak Palace of Culture in 1956, and ultimately to a persecuted dissident during the years of normalization.
Outstanding theatre performances throughout the nation
The domestic lineup at the Theatre Festival provides an opportunity for attendees to experience a remarkable array of outstanding performances produced across the Czech Republic, all in a brief time span. Slovácké divadlo Uherské Hradiště is set to stage a crucial piece of modern American theatre, Streetcar to the Station of Desire (directed by Anna Davidová) with a contemporary translation by Ester Žantovská. Another timeless classic, An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen (directed by Jan Holec) will be presented by the Ostrava Petr Bezruč Theatre. National Theatre Brno will mesh creativity and politics in their work The Patriots (directed by Jakub Šmíd), which explores Vladimir Putin’s ascent as a modern dictator and his complex relationship with his “creator” Boris Berezovsky. The novel Layla Martínez’s Wormhole has emerged as a significant milestone in Spanish literature recently. Drama Studio from Ústí nad Labem is presenting a visually captivating and strongly acted adaptation of it (directed by Eliška Říhová). The Naive Theatre Liberec also offers an intimate production suitable for children, Events Rosomák (directed by Johana Bártová).
From Prague’s theaters, the festival’s programming includes the National Theatre’s production of Wernisch (directed by Jan Nebeský), which comprises a series of poetic sketches, songs, and recitations. Divadlo Na zábradlí will showcase an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s delicate novel Mrs. Dalloway (directed by Anna Klimešová), featuring the talented Magdalena Sidonová in a leading role. MeetFactory will present a haunting dramatization of one of Irvin Welsh’s most complex works Nightmares with the marabou stork (directed by Tomáš Ráliš).
The puppet show Comrades with rings (directed by Dominik Migač, Marta Hermannová, and Jan Pichler) transports the audience to the Spartakiada and provides insights into life in normalized Czechoslovakia. The visually impressive piece by Berta Doubková, recipient of the 2024 Theatre Critics’ Prize for scenography, known as I’ll make a hole to peek out of file TMEL, will also be featured. Pilsen J. K. Tyl Theatre will thrill audiences with a musical production called Fire (directed by Josef Doležal), which includes not just acting but also singing and dancing. Meanwhile, the Alfa Theatre will tackle contemporary issues in their production Everyone has his own truth (?) (directed by Jakub Vašíček), reflecting a modern world often inundated with information and doubt regarding scientifically validated truths.
