Theatre European Regions Festival – A Fine End to the Theatre Season - J. Kerbr

The 11th edition of the Theatre European Regions Festival in Hradec Králové adhered to its regular tradition of presenting a showcase of theatre projects over the course of the last ten days in June.

With its long track record, the most extensive theatre showcase in the Czech Republic has succeeded in acquiring many patrons. The festival is a fine end to the theatre season - filled with performances not always selected on the basis of great artistic quality or dramaturgical production approach - but it is an excellent opportunity for the Hradec Králové theatre public to see many already critically acclaimed theatre titles. The more selective and demanding spectators are used to being satisfied. Here they are given an opportunity of discovering a concentrated showcase of quality productions from different regions – productions that they cannot see anywhere else. Two theatres from Hradec Králové, the Klicperovo and DRAK Theatres, also used this opportunity to present the newest works of their repertoire. In the context of the Czech Republic, the work of both these companies was very inspirational.

The end of the theatre season also usually provides a sparse selection of premieres. The Theatre European Regions is ideal, however, as it sums up the picture of the national productions for theatre publicists. A series of titles which were the absolute highlights of the Czech theatre season were presented in Hradec Králové this year: the Slovacké Theatre from Uherské Hradiště´s production of Těsnohlídek´s The Cunning Little Vixen directed by J.A. Pitínský, David Drábek´s Aquabelles directed by Vladimír Morávek at the Klicper Theatre, DRAK Theatre’s How the Fathers Played (Jak si hrají tatinkové) directed by Josef Kroft, Marlowe´s Faust staged by František Derfler at Brno´s Theatre near the Table. Foreign companies participated in the showcase primarily due to the personal contacts with the Czech theatre community. The showcase in Hradec Králové cannot afford to invite large, elaborate productions to participate in the programming, not even extraordinarily rare foreign productions (with the exception of neighbouring Slovakia). This year however, they did manage to present the extraordinary puppet performance Cinderella (Popelka) by the Teatr Lalka from Warsaw directed by Josef Krofta.

The festival also offers an open-air programme of professional as well as quality amateur companies, and late night musical productions of leading Czech balladeers and chamber orchestras. The Theatre European Regions Festival is place for meeting: here, there is more time than during the showcases crowded into a fewer number of days.

More information about the Theatre European Regions Festival: http://www.klicperovodivadlo.cz/