Divadelná Nitra opens its 35th anniversary year today
Divadelná Nitra opens its 35th anniversary year today
Today marks the start of the five-day, 35th annual International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra (25-29 September 2026). Although this year it was created without support from the Slovak Arts Council, the Festival brings a programme that maintains the dramaturgical rigour the spectators are accustomed to.
On the opening evening, at 5:30 p.m., the audience will be welcomed to the Svätopluk Square by a unique music and dance performance called Togetherness (Association Divadelná Nitra, Festival Konvergencie, Dance Studio Theatre). The unique work was created in cooperation with three established organisations that decided to respond to the current situation in culture with a joint work emphasising the need for mutual connections. In the Great Hall of The Andrei Bagar Theatre in Nitra, the concert will be followed by the opening performance of Macbeth by the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre from Kiyv, as directed by Ivan Uryvsky. Shakespeare's tragedy about power and its destructive consequences takes on a disturbingly current form in the context of the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian ensemble arrived in Nitra yesterday with its general and artistic director Yevhen Nyshchuk, one of the voices of Maidan in Ukraine. Mr Nyshchuk has served his country as Minister of Culture. Thursday's programme, which preceded the official opening of the Festival, was also dedicated to Ukraine and Ukrainian theatre.
In the yesterday's discussion Generation of Freedom, director Ivan Uryvsky presented the basic history of Ukrainian theatre, its definition and common elements with the Russian theatre tradition. He also mentioned how the harsh 1990s and Russian aggression influenced the generation of today's thirty-somethings artistically and in life.
On the following days of the Festival, the programme will feature the Czech production My Struggle. A Man in Love (Na zábradlí Theatre, Prague), the Slovak productions Ota (The Joseph Gregor Tajovský Theatre, Zvolen), Roar, Scream and Dirt (The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra) and Tartuffe (Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin). The main programme also includes another Czech production Come, you'll feel better. I promise. (4+4 days in motion, Prague), which was included in the programme additionally thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
During the Festival weekend, world premières of works by two independent Slovak ensembles that were also affected by the lack of state funding will be held: cerebrum fēlix (Uhol_92) and Aria for the Poisoner (Schwarzes Loch Europas). The Festival continues this year in co-production of new works, which will be premièred in the Just Created section. The new works will bring to the Festival a dimension of exceptional experience, and support for solidarity in Slovak artistic community in the current situation in Slovakia.
This year, the accompanying programme focuses on more distinctive formats, especially interventions in public space and other community projects. These include the interactive video projection Paper Dream (Nano VJS) on the Svätopluk Square, connected to the open workshop Lumenia Open Lab, in which members of the public create projections accompanied by electronic music on the building of The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra. During three evenings, visitors and Festival memory-makers will relive together their memories of the Festival. They can bring old photographs, tickets, posters or catalogues, and other items associated with the Festival, that will be projected onto the wall of the building; or they can leave a message, memory or wish for the future of the Festival. On Tuesday, the travelling theatre Budenebude kůň will visit Nitra's Uránia pub with the production Circus Faust. Its horse-drawn carriage keeps the Czech tradition of travelling theatre. On Friday, the annual integration meeting, September Tulip will traditionally take place, connecting children with visual impairments with their vision-unaffected peers from Nitra.
Over the weekend, two public discussions will follow as part of the V4@Theatre Critics Residency programme – on Saturday, on the topic of Ukrainian Theatre Today with Ivan Uryvsky and Yevhen Nyshchuk, and on Sunday, on the topic of 35 years of Divadelná Nitra with Festival director Anna Šimončičová and programme curators. Both events are also open to general public. The accompanying programme is complemented by other events prepared in cooperation with local cultural actors.
The 35th annual edition was successfully delivered. Yet, the future of the next edition remains quite uncertain. Association Divadelná Nitra finances the Festival and its year-round activities anew every year – without a pledged donor, without certainty. To this day, it still lacks some funds to enable to staff working after the Festival. And a festival without its planning tea, is impossible.
Detailed programme and more information are available at www.nitrafest.sk.