Theatre Na zábradlí

www.nazabradli.cz

The history of Theatre Na zábradlí began on 9^th December 1958 with the first show of the play „If a Thousand Clarinets“ writen by Jiří Suchý and Ivan Vyskočil, two of the five founders of the theatre.

Zábradlí is one of the most interesting and best theatres, which has always belonged to the peak of Czech theatre work. Over the world, known Ladislav Fialka’s Pantomime won a wide critical acclaim abroad, and at home was highly reputable by domestic as well as foreign visitors. During the theatre history there have worked (and work) many top actors and directors. Doubravka Svobodová and the artistic director Petr Lébl became its leaders in 1993. The repertoire is composed mainly of the original domestic plays and/or Czech first shows of contemporary foreign playwrights. In 2005 first time there was organized the project called Czechoslovak Spring which introduced on the stage new performances by Czech and Slovak authors, specially written for the actor of this theatre.

The former Czech expresident Václav Havel, who worked at the theatre in the years 1960 - 1968, dedicated to Theatre Na zábradlí in 1998 for its fortieth anniversary the following declaration:

„...We spent with my wife Olga fully full eight years of our life. It was, in fact, the only time when I could fully pursue my different theatre “crafts”: I worked there as a lighting technician, stage-hand, dramaturgy, author, secretary and even as an actor ... Time spent here formed me not only as an author, but also as a man. I like to keep it in my mind.“

The Theatre Na zábradlí celebrated the semi-centennial of its foundation. Its dramaturgy is now focusing principally on premieres of contemporary Czech and foreign dramas for example with its projects “Czechoslovakian Springs” 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Thanks to its leadership this theatre has been from 1999, so from the first year, the main stage of APOSTROF’s performances.