BRNO’S THEATRES

The theatres of Brno have quite a rich past with some famous moments. Current productions cover a wide range of genres, with something for almost everybody.

In Brno, the second half of the 20th century was marked by the development of a number of alternative theatres. HaDivadlo and Divadlo Husa na provázku (the Goose on a String Theatre) were a credit to Brno at home and abroad. After Gustáv Husák came to power in 1969, the latter theatre had to remove the word ‘husa’ (goose) from its name, when during a single night all the theatre’s posters were altered to read ‘Husák na provázku’ (Husák on a String).

Another major institution is Národní divadlo Brno (the National Theatre Brno) with opera, ballet, and dramatic ensembles. Janáčkovo divadlo (the Janáček Theatre) is home to the opera and ballet ensembles, but it is currently undergoing massive renovations. The dramatic ensemble performs in Mahenovo divadlo (the Mahen Theatre) and Reduta.

In addition to several independent theatres, theatre enthusiasts may also attend performances by students of Janáčkova akademie múzických umění (the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts) or even try some of the theatres putting on performances mainly for children.

Městské divadlo Brno (the Brno City Theatre) and Divadlo Bolka Polívky (the Bolek Polívka Theatre) are also worth visiting.