Welcome to the National Theatre Brno!
You may ask why you should care about theatre in a city you may never have heard of. What makes it different from dozens of other theatres in Europe that makes it worth going to Brno? I believe that the following pages will convince you that the exceptional history of our theatre, the strong genius loci and especially the lively theatrical present are a strong reason to explore one of those cultural centres of Central Europe, where cultural influences from all over the continent have mixed for centuries, often providing space for extraordinary personalities to grow and remarkable works to emerge.
The cultural history of our town and theatre is primarily connected with the personality and work of Leoš Janáček, the most performed Czech opera composer of our time. Most of his operas had their world premiere at the National Theatre Brno. But it was not only Janáček, but also Bohuslav Martinů, a number of Czech playwrights and the history of ballet was written at the moment of the world premiere of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. These are the roots that contemporary creators consciously build on.
National Theatre Brno develops a tradition of theatre with permanent ensembles and a wide repertoire. We believe that the continuous work of teams has the best chance of bringing excellent performances to the stage. Our companies perform in three buildings equipped with state-of-the-art theatre technology. The newest building of the Janáček Theatre is based on the best traditions of architectural functionalism and has the largest stage in the Czech Republic. The beautiful Mahen Theatre building is one of the architectural icons of the city. The smallest and oldest building of the Reduta Theatre, which is one of the oldest theatres in Central Europe, is ideal for contemporary dance, opera and drama thanks to a generous internal modern reconstruction.
The National Theatre Brno is one of the largest theatre producers in the Czech Republic. We present around 20 new productions each season and our extensive repertoire offers a selection of over 70 different titles each year. At the same time we organize three generous international festivals. Welcome to the National Theatre Brno!
Martin Glaser, Director of the National Theatre Brno