BEST Divadlo is currently rehearsing for a revival of their well received 2024 show The 39 Steps, a parody of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1930s movie of the same name, which in itself is a loose adaptation of John Buchan’s book. These shows will take place on April 20, 25 and 26 in Lumos, co-directed by Victoria and Pavlína Špalda with a slightly different cast than before. Aside from that, BEST are holding auditions on 18 April for a new production of G.B. Shaw’s Pygmalion.
BEST was founded in 2018, and got off to a great start with several theatre productions a year, before being negatively impacted by the 2020 Covid pandemic, which saw the company’s creative and directing board leave the country, and many members move on with their lives. It took four years for BEST to return to the stage with a new leadership, which decided to first complete unfinished projects that had been put on hold: The 39 Steps and Sunday on the Rocks, with one production per year. This year, BEST is finally going to produce two plays: the revival of The 39 Steps and Pygmalion, a brand new show.
The first run of The 39 Steps in 2024 was completely sold out. The show, albeit in a lighthearted way, depicts the fight of an individual against the corrupt forces of a totalitarian ideology, a relevant topic in today’s world. In a similar fashion, Pygmalion is a show that focuses on the struggles faced by the lower class in a playground ruled by the upper class elites, and offers a message of female empowerment for those interested in engaging with it.
BEST will hold auditions for Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion on 18 April between 2pm and 6pm in Kavarna Trojka. Performances are scheduled for autumn 2026, under the direction of Tasha Price. BEST are issuing an open call to anyone who would be interested in participating in the production, either on and off stage. For more information regarding casting, please email pygmalion.bestdivadlo@gmail.com.
Performances of The 39 Steps will take place at Lumos, Křížová 95/20, at 7pm. Tickets are available here.
