Temptation

Mahen Theatre / Drama Dates and tickets

Don’t you have the courage to talk to the girl of your dreams? Do not despair! Perhaps you can conjure her love. Havel offers a twentieth- and a twenty-first-century twist on the myth of Dr. Faust.

During the day, Dr. Foustka works at an institute dedicated to combating belief in supernatural phenomena that contradict the scientific view of the world. At night, however, he tries to summon spirits and demons in his apartment. Foustka feels that something is missing in his life: everyone around him is so mundane and only cares about how much meat they have in the fridge. He hopes that contact with the astral spheres will bring something beautiful and noble into his life. Unfortunately, the spirits do not respond to his calls, and Foustka is getting inclined to think that the nonsense they hammer into his head every day at work is true. Until the night when a strange, sulphur-smelling Mr. Fistula unexpectedly rings his doorbell.

Fistula suggests initiating Dr. Foustka into the secrets of the magical sciences he claims to practice. In exchange, he wants Foustka to provide him with an alibi in case the institute’s staff discover him and he gets into trouble with the law. To prove that he has something to teach him, he promises to help him win the affection of the secretary Markétka. And indeed, at their next meeting, Markétka falls head over heels in love with Foustka. But is this thanks to Fistula, or has Foustka discovered a hidden charm within himself? Do magic and miracles really exist? Or is this just a provocation by his colleagues at the institute who wish to get him fired? Is it possible to play games with the devil (whoever that may be) without losing your soul?

Premiere: November 21, 2025, at the Mahen Theatre

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