“A festival that did not give up” – this is one way to describe the festival that took place from 24-29 May in Brno. The Theatre World Festival, one of the three largest theatre festivals in the country, which was cancelled two years ago due to anti-pandemic restrictions and went ahead last year in a significantly reduced form for the same reasons, returned in full swing this year. 50 theatre ensembles from home and abroad performed over the six days of the festival. Photo credit: Marek Olbrzymek
Brno, June 2 (BD) – The 13th Theatre World Festival was preceded by a prologue in the form of two performances and the premiere of a co-produced documentary about the director Eva Tálská, and closes with a short epilogue in June. As in previous years, the main organiser of the festival was the Brno National Theatre (NdB), which has traditionally organised the festival together with other Brno theatres. This year, the festival’s dramaturgy turned its attention to the phenomenon of the spectator. Instead of an overarching theme, the festival was dedicated to a common search for what theatre is and can be. The motto: “Theatre is…” (along with three significant dots) was a phrase that accompanied the audience every step of the way through the festival.
The festival offered 59 performances by 50 companies from the Czech Republic and abroad, including Israel, France, Poland, Hungary, Belarus, Brazil, Portugal and Slovenia. A total of 6,676 visitors attended the festival. One of the highlights of the festival was the Israeli Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company with its performance “Azyl”, which opened the show on the first day. Another success of the festival was the prestigious Polish production of “Střípky ženy” by TR Warszawa, directed by the “master of hyperrealism” Kornél Mundruczó. Traditionally, dance and movement lines are among the most popular at the festival. The program also offered a number of discussions and lectures, such as the “Debate for Puppets” by DISK Theatre from DAMU. This year’s festival also had an online section, in which the streaming platform Dramox participated.
The main program of the 13th Theatre World Festival has ended, but the festival is still waiting for its epilogue. Indeed, some of the shows, such as the “Santini” project of the JEDL association, remain unfinished. Since the performance in the Baroque church in Křtiny was immediately sold out, the festival has added another, which will take place on 12 June in the monastery in Rajhrad. The epilogue of the festival will also feature a co-production project by Feste Theatre called “Hilsner a ti druzí” on 22 June, which will finally bring this year’s event to a close.
The festival offered 59 performances by 50 companies from the Czech Republic and abroad. One of the highlights of the festival was the Israeli company Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company with its performance “Azyl”, which opened the show on the first day. Photo credit: Marek Olbrzymek and Robert Vystrcil
