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Photo: Czech Tourism

Theatre

The theatre has been inseparable from the Czech cultural heritage and has a rich tradition in all genres, including drama, opera, ballet and dance, puppet theatre, black light theatre. 

The drama of the First Czechoslovak Republic followed the same stylistic evolution as poetry and prose — expressionism, followed by a return to realistic, civilian theatre (František Langer, Karel Čapek). Avantgarde theatre also flourished, focusing on removing the barriers between actors and audience, breaking the illusion of the unity of a theatrical work (Osvobozené divadlo, Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich). In the 1930s, Karel Čapek wrote his most politically charged (and well-known) plays in response to the rise of fascist dictators.

Václav Havel , a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright and dissident.in his works such as The Garden Party and The Memorandum,  used an absurdist style to criticize the Communist system. 

Václav Havel

Václav Havel

Marionette puppet theatre has had a very long history in entertainment in Prague. An important puppet organisation is the National Marionette Theatre in Prague. Its repertoire mainly features a marionette production of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. The production has period costumes and 18th-century setting. In 2016, Czech and Slovak Puppetry was included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Marionette Puppet Theatre

Marionette Puppet Theatre

Black light theatre or simply black theatre, is a theatrical performance style characterized by the use of black box theatre augmented by black light illusion. A key principle of black light theatre is the inability of the human eye to distinguish black objects from a black background. This effect results in effective invisibility for any objects not illuminated by the 'black light'. It has become a speciality of Prague, where many theatres use it.

Black light thatre

Black light thatre

You are cordially  invited to see theatre performance in the Czech republic. The National Theatre in Prague has four stages across the city center, and each day, several plays are presented, varying from ballet, opera, drama, and Laterna Magika. However, Prague is also full of smaller ensembles and theaters, such as Letní Scéna Kampa, which now presents a play about a well-known Czech Jewish actor, Jan Werich.


If you are looking to travel outside of the capital, which we strongly recommend, several theatre institutions are linked to each city. Brno offers memorable plays in its Brno National Theatre. Another prestigious theatre stage, the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, found in Ostrava. Finally we must mention the unforgivable experience of the Revolving Theatre in Český Krumlov.