Franz Kafka, who lived in Prague as a German speaker and writer, is such a big deal that his name has become an adjective: Kafkaesque.
It has a complex meaning or, I should say, meanings: it is a situation that is absurd, surreal, illogical, downright oppressive, alien. It suggests a distorted sense of reality and helplessness, usually in connection with overwhelming bureaucracy. It forces you to explore your essence, your existence. It’s dark irony. It’s depressing. Yet, somehow, enlightening.
What a great theme for a ballet!
Actually, Kafka is ideal for all sorts of creative analysis, given his reflection of big-idea themes. He has been the inspiration for many around the world, even though he died 101 years ago. He is even popular among young people on TikTok.
Now we can count the talented dancers of Brno among those inspired. NdB Ballet will present the world premiere of Kafka, the ballet, tomorrow at Janáček Theatre at 7 pm.
The performance is an original full-length dance performance choreographed and directed by Markéta Pimek Habalová. It melds the beauty and athleticism of the Brno dancers with the writing and personal life of Kafka, presenting him as an ordinary person with everyday worries and doubts, free from the accumulation of legends about a dark loner that have formed around his character.
“It is based not only on his literary legacy, but also on Kafka’s personal life, which was full of uncertainties and doubts, but also a desire for understanding and love,” Habalová said. “I want to bring to the stage a humanly true portrait of a man who struggled with his relationships his whole life – whether with an authoritarian father, a beloved sister, or the fascinating and often unrivaled women who entered his life and influenced his work.”
Barbora Rašková and Glen Lambrecht assisted in the creative process, specifically with interpretations of The Metamorphosis and The Trial.
The production will include dancers from several levels of the NdB Ballet program: the main company, the junior NdB 2, and the upcoming NdB 3 project.
Additional performances of Kafka are on 25/31 October and 8 November, then next year on 19/22 May and 16 June.
The schedule and more details are available here.
Aida Continues Its Powerful Run of Performances
If you are interested in a bona fide, excellent performance, NdB continues its run of Aida, the legendary opera by Verdi, on 16 November, 28 December, 31 January, and 14 May. The opera kicked off the cultural season last month with great fanfare at Janáček Theatre.
Janáček Brno Festival Preview
The Janáček Brno Festival will preview its upcoming biennial event with the concert JANÁČEK NA START! at the Mahen Theatre on 31 October, 2025.
This is also when the full program for next year’s 10th anniversary edition of the Janáček Brno Festival (13 October to 17 November) will be revealed, and ticket sales launched.
This festival puts Brno on the map every two years. In fact, NdB has been nominated for two International Opera Awards based upon its performances during the 2024 edition of the International Janáček Brno Festival, nominated in the categories: ‘Festival’, which encompasses the entire month-long Janáček Brno Festival, and ‘New Production’, for The Excursions of Mr Brouček (Výlety páně Broučkovy), a co-production of the Brno National Theatre and the Staatsoper Berlin, directed by Robert Carsen.
The winners of the International Opera Awards 2025 will be announced on 13 November at the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Hall in Athens.
The Janáček Brno Festival was previously named Festival of the Year in 2018, the first festival in the Czech Republic to receive this highest honour in the field. Thanks to this recognition, NdB and the festival have joined the ranks of the most distinguished artists and ensembles of the global opera world.
2025-26 NdB Season
Forthcoming opera, ballet, and theatre premiere dates include:
First half of the season:
- 24. 10. 2025 Kafka, ballet
- 14. 11. 2025 Lidovky judo do riť, drama
- 21. 11. 2025 Pokúšení, drama
Second half of the season:
- 23. 1. 2026 changes, drama
- 30. 1. 2026 Divoká kachna, drama
- 6. 2. 2026 Čertova stěna, opera
- 27. 2. 2026 NdB 2: Program 8, ballet
- 20. 3. 2026 Phaedra (Eclipse), drama
- 27. 3. 2026 Fellner’s Helmer and Helmer’s Fellner, drama
- 11. 4. 2026 Agrippina, opera
- 8. 5. 2026 Giselle, ballet
- 15. 5. 2026 The Shining Word, drama
- 12. 6. 2026 The Bat, opera
- 19. 6. 2026 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, drama
Opera is generally performed with Czech, English, and German subtitles. Some theatre performances have subtitles.
The Brno National Theatre (NdB) presents opera, ballet, and theatrical performances. Click here for the schedule and more details.
