Brno is the geographic centre of Europe, and later this month it will also become the international centre of theatre and culture, when the Theatre World (Divadelni svet) festival will infuse many theatres and performance spaces throughout the city.
The festival starts Friday, 17 May, on the piazzetta in front of Janacek Theatre, with a free performance of dance and music starting at 6:30pm. It will end on 28 May, after more than 60 further events.
Theatre World Brno is one of the largest theatre festivals in the Czech Republic, attracting a wide selection of foreign productions and the best of Czech theatre. It is the result of cooperation between the Brno National Theatre (NdB), Husa na provázku Theatre, Brno Municipal Theatre, Radost Theatre, Polárka Theatre, and JAMU art scenes.
The event will feature great drama performances, chamber projects, dance productions, site-specific performances, an accompanying program, and events for professionals. Many of the productions reflect current social issues.
One of the more highly anticipated performances will be ‘Jungle Book Reimagined’. Akram Khan, the world-famous British dancer and choreographer of Bangladeshi origin, will provide a different point of view of Rudyard Kipling’s much-loved classic for both lovers of dance and families with children aged over 10 years. It will be performed on 18 and 19 May at Janáček Theatre.
Another highlight is ‘Employees’, toward the end of the festival. This performance is from the workshop of Łukasz Twarkowski, one of the most remarkable creators of his generation, and is based upon the novel by contemporary Danish writer Olga Ravn.
There are many additional performances, many with English subtitles and many for children.
Go to https://divadelnisvet.cz/en/ for the full schedule and ticket information.
In addition to the opening on the piazzetta of the Janáček Theatre, there will be many additional out-of-the-box (i.e., outdoor) activities, including special theatre yoga with the actors of the Brno Municipal Theatre; a unique theatre playground, Figurkov, organized by the workshop of Líšeň Theatre; short fairy tales prepared by JAMU students from the Theatre and Education for the Deaf Studio; and dance and movement performances by JAMU’s international students and the junior Ballet NdB 2. Later, the Visitors from the Deep Oceans – luminous six-metre puppets of marine animals from the underwater world – will float through the city centre.
Furthermore, there will be many different types of debates and discussions. One will address Barriers of all kinds. Then, before the NdB premiere of Hamlet on May 23 at the Mahen Theatre, Professor Martin Hilský, a world-renowned expert on the works of William Shakespeare, will provide insights into the “bard” that he gained from having translated Shakespeare’s complete works. And, on the closing day, 28 May, Erik Tabery, the editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine, Respekt, will discuss the crisis of Slovak culture with his guests.
The industry program will include workshops, forums and much more for people from the theatre industry. Interestingly, this year the festival will also host the 30th World Congress of the International Association of Theatre Critics.
For more information, in English, go to https://divadelnisvet.cz/en/
