Jan Jiřík is a theatre critic and faculty member of the Theatre Faculty at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he teaches at the Department of Theatre Theory. Jiřík shares with Desislava Vasileva some his opinion on the productions ‘The Hague’ and ‘Living the Dream with Grandma”.

This festival is a special opportunity to learn something new about Bulgarian theatre, including drama, directing, and acting. I really appreciated the discussion after ‘The Hague’ because it provided context, which is essential for understanding this production. It’s a pity that there aren’t more such discussions after performances during the festival, as it would be beneficial.

I am very happy to be here. I had been planned to come to the festival for many years. This year, it was finally possible. I enjoy the atmosphere of both the theatre festival and the city.

I find it very interesting that the National Theatre in Sofia staged such a unique text as ‘The Hague’. I really liked the directing and how the director worked with the space and lighting design. The context of the performance intrigued me, and during the post-show talk the director answered some of my questions about how this production works in Sofia and within contemporary Bulgarian theatre. I thought it was great and would like to see it a second time. The structure of the scenario was well done. Some parts referenced others, creating a cohesive narrative.

I was impressed by the actor’s performance in ‘Living the Dream with Grandma’. The story, which deals with the experiences of a leftist woman with a Jewish background in Hungary, is very compelling and important to share not only in Hungary but abroad as well. This story resonates with Bulgarian audiences too, as Hungary, Bulgaria, and the former Czechoslovakia share similar histories and memories. I am very happy that such stories are shared with audiences in the theatre.