SKUTR (Martin Kukučka a Lukáš Trpišovský)
Biography
SKUTR is made up of the stage directors Martin Kukučka (born in 1979) and Lukáš Trpišovský (born in 1979). They began working together during their studies at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
SKUTR’s productions have been staged at various prestigious festivals around Europe and Asia. Their work abroad culminated in a month-long residency at the 2008 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, where their piece The Weepers was performed 22 times and shortlisted for the Total Theatre Award.
SKUTR’s original multi-genre, or crossover, performances combine dance, movement, acrobatics, puppet theatre, projections, light design, text and sound. In addition to their own works (Nickname, Petit Mort, La Putyka, The Rite of Spring), Martin Kukučka and Lukáš Trpišovský have also directed productions on prominent Czech (the National Theatres in Prague, Brno and Ostrava, Archa Theatre, Dlouhá Theatre and others) and foreign stages (Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, Hellerau Dresden, Slovak National Theatre, Lubuski Teatr in Poland and others).
They have received several awards for their work, the most significant of which are the 2015 Divadelní noviny Award for Best Dance Production of the Year (Walls & Handbags), the 2017 Grenouille Award for the production Foam of Days, the Grand Prix at the 2007 FIST International Student Theatre Festival in Belgrade (for Paradise of the Heart and Labyrinth of the World), the 2014 Ballet Grand Prix for the ballet The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the Evald Schorm Award, and the Josef Hlávka Award.
They have created several productions for the National Theatre – Heroes (2006), Don Giovanni (2012), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2013), Human Locomotion (2014), The Little Mermaid (2016), Blood Wedding (2017), A Bouquet (2019), Platée (2024), and Don Quixote. The Waste Land (2025).
From 2017 to 2022, they were members of the artistic management of the Dlouhá Theatre in Prague. Since September 2022, they have been the new artistic directors of the National Theatre Drama.
Current productions at the National Theatre:
- Don Quixote. The Waste Land (State Opera, 2025)
- Platée (State Opera, 2024)
- Rusalka (National Theatre, 2024)
- Hamlet (National Theatre, 2023)
- Dangerous Liaisons (Estates Theatre, 2023)
- A Bouquet (National Theatre, 2019)
Las update: February 2026