BLACKland parodies politics.
photo: Courtesy of Divadelná Nitra
THIRTEEN foreign and Slovak professional theatres will stage plays in Nitra from September 23 to 28. For the first time in its history, the International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra will provide all performances with English interpretations.
"The increasing number of foreign guests coming to the festival provoked us to open it not only to a Slovak but also to a foreign audience," said Natália Bokníková, the festival's spokesperson.
After working for a full year on the programme, Divadelná Nitra serves as a guide to the latest trends in European theatre. Its director, Darina Kárová, says that every year they try to add "young, modern, provocative and inspirational" theatre to its repertoire. "We hope the intention also works this time."
Theatre troupes from Norway, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Great Britain, France, Serbia and Montenegro, and the Czech Republic will travel to Nitra. From Slovakia comes The Beauty Queen of Leenane, from the Košice State Theatre, Tiso, from Bratislava's Aréna Theatre, Ignorant and a Fool, from the Slovak National Theatre, and norway.today, from the local Divadlo Andreja Bagara theatre.
As is the tradition, the performances will take place on the stage of the Divadlo Andreja Bagara theatre and Staré Divadlo. Several pieces will also be staged at alternative locations.
Nitra's Janíkovce airport will host a play entitled KNOWH2OW by the Belgian minimalist intellectual Vzw Avec Jan Jib Co theatre, as well as Concert for Greenland by Norwegian theatre Verdensteatret. The first is about a new society powered by hydrogen, the second is an audio-visual composition "where rusty machines meet new technology".
"We look for such [alternative] places every year. One reason is to make what we offer more special, another is that some plays simply don't fit into theatres. They are created at specific venues - halls, old factories, or storage places. This is the first time we play at the airport. I am looking forward to it a lot," said Kárová.
Slovak ambassador to Norway, Dušan Rozbor, met the directors of Concert for Greenland, Lisbeth J Bodd and Asle Nilsen, recently to express his pleasure at their participation in the festival.
"He would like to intensify the cultural exchange between our countries," said Bodd. Following Rozbor's request, the directors invited their ambassador to Slovakia, Brit Lovseth, to their performance on September 27.
What: International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra.
Where: Main venue - Divadlo Andreja Bagara, Svätoplukovo nám. 4, Nitra.
When: September 23 to 28.
Tickets: Reservations at nitrafest@nitrafest.sk or at the box office of Divadlo Andreja Bagara.
For more information on the individual performances, accompanying events and technical information, visit www.nitrafest.sk (in Slovak and English).
