This instalment of our regular series informs you about the new productions of plays by the most successful of the contemporary Czech playwrights:
The first production of Zelenka's
Theremin outside the Czech Republic premiered as planned with an enormous success on April 22 in Russia in the town of Perm. It was presented at the Theatre by the Bridge by its artistic director and Alfréd Radok Award winner Sergey Fedotov. The mood at the opening night can best be summarized by the SMS from the director to the author: "
Three times we had applause during the run of the play, after the show two thirds of people stayed to try out thereminvox. It's a miracle!" For those who know Zelenka's play this news has a piquant undertone: thereminvox finally returned where it started during his inventor's popularization trips to the Russian province.
The Polish premiere of the
Train Departures took place a day later, with the author in the audience. The play, translated by Krystyna Krauze, was staged by Stanislav Melski (also responsible for the stage design) at the ODA Firlej Club in Wroclaw. He also acts - the part of the Actor - with the Actress played by Agata Skowrońska. "On the whole it was a fair attempt to take the play on", said the author after the opening night. Apparently he appreciated most the first third of the show.
Zelenka's Tales appreciated in Belfast...
On 9 April 2006, Belfast's Venue theatre presented a rehearsed reading of Zelenka's first play Tales of Common Insanity. The TC Prime Cut Productions presented Zelenka's play together with two other texts under a joint title The Importace of Elsewhere. The other readings were by Russian authors - Vampilov's Last Summer in Chulimsk and Sigarev's Black Milk. The reading was also part of the Invasion into Europe programe of the Prague Theatre Institute - presenting Czech theatre outside the Czech Republic. "The reading was very successful and the audience (about 50 people) appreciated Tales of Common Insanity very much. Twelve respected Irish actors appeared in the reading directed by Annabelle Comyn and they seemed to enjoy the work with the text very much. Many of them said afterwards they did not come across such a fresh and thankful play for a long time. The translation by Robert Russell was apparently also fun to work with - much better than the problematic translations of the previous Russian plays."