Divadelní svět Brno 2018 (Theatre World Brno 2018): Theatre, Dance and Freedom

This year the theme of the international theatre festival is “Freedom?!” Over five days artists from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Serbia, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the USA will be appearing.

The festival motto for the year 2018, which is also the centenary of Czech statehood, is the term “Freedom?!” The festival director Martin Glaser adds concerning the choice of this year’s motto: “Already several months ago when we began to prepare the festival we were very prudent, as it is clear that the festival theme of Freedom?! Would resonate strongly with today’s society. We are not indifferent to what is going on, especially in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Hungary, where freedom of artistic expression is currently severely restricted.” Also for this reason the main programme of the festival is focused on among other things on work from these two countries. For example Maladype Szíhnáz, a significant independent Budapest theatre, will be performing their version of Richard III.

Another of the significant lines of the festival will be the staging of the works of one of today’s biggest theatrical provocateurs – the director Oliver Frljić. The festival’s programme creators selected his Polish staging of Prokletí (Powszechny Teatr) and a Slovenian piece entitled Naše násilí, vaše násilí (Mladinsko Gledališče).

Part of the festival programme is the latest production by the Forman Brothers’ Theatre Deadtown. A tale full of illusions and also technical miracles, which is set in an original western small town.

As is already a tradition the Slovak National Theatre will be participating with their staging of Elita, which was specially written for that theatre by the Czech director Jiří Havelka. Emília Vašáryová and Táňa Pauhofová are in the main roles. The Czech Chamber Stage Aréna will be appearing again, this time with Václav Havel’s Vyrozumění.

Divadelní svět Brno once again set up cooperation with significant Czech festivals, with Meeting Brno and Tanec Praha. It is dance and movement productions that make up a significant part of the festival programme. The dance ensemble Dekkadancers will be performing their Poslední večeři (Last Supper), and viewers will also be able to see their acclaimed productions Guide and Švihla. This year for the first time a production will be created directly for the festival Divadelní svět Brno. “The top choreographer Jiří Bartovanec together with the actors of the national Theatre Brno and the Theatre Goose on a string an original project with the title Obrys, which will be intended for the Mozart Hall in the Reduta Theatre. Its theme will be the festival motto of Freedom?! We are also overjoyed at the opportunity to participate in Miřenka Čechová’s unique 24-hour dance project Momentum, which offers reflections on the everyday hastiness of life,” says Lucie Němečková, the dramaturge for the National Theatre Brno.