Antonie Formanová • Lenka Krobotová • Martin Myšička • Vladimír Polívka • Adéla Gajdošová • Naděžda Melková • Štěpánka Todorová • Tomáš Adel • Richard Janča • David Petrželka
translated by Petr Kopta set design Lucia Škandíková costumes Linda Boráros music Martin Hůla dramaturgy Marta Ljubková dramaturgic cooperation Eva Suková, Jaroslava Šiktancová artistic internship Laura Fedorová expert consultation Daniela Jobertová
directed by Jiří Havelka
PREMIERE 02.12.2023
RUNNING TIME 1 hour 45 minutes, without an interval
Paris, the first third of the 19th century. Hugo's romantic play Hernani bursts onto the stage of the Comédie-Française like a hurricane. A whirlwind of novel verse and comedy mixed with tragedy that is set to blow away the wigs of all the conservative classicists in the audience. The critics are going crazy! A new movement is conquering theatre. No more unity of place, time or action! The stage must radiate life in all its forms.
Prague, the first third of the 21st century. Hernani? What kind of play is it? I wonder why it’s not being staged anymore, or is it? Hugo, isn’t he that oldster with the moss chops? And the verse? They all constantly prevaricate about love, then end up killing each other? Is that Romeo and Juliet for the poor, or what? Nobody gives a toss about that nowadays. After all, the stage must radiate life in all its forms.
An encounter with a revolutionary play across the chasm of time. What is new is always new, what is alive is always alive. New and alive, just as we are new and alive right now, in the present. A play with romantic theatre, a play with Dejvice Theatre, a play with modern theatre.