The National Theatre receives the Czech Theatre Critics’ Prize

On 17 March, the Divadlo pod Palmovkou theatre in Prague hosted the ceremony of announcement of the Theatre Critics’ Prizes for 2018. The National Theatre Opera won the Music of the Year category for its production of Ivan Acher’s Sternenhoch. Ivan Acher also received the highest number of nominations.

The opera blockbuster Sternenhoch, to Ivan Acher’s music and libretto, conducted by Petr Kofroň and directed by Michal Dočekal, was also shortlisted in the Best Production and the Best New Czech Play categories. The Talent of 2018 prize went to Tereza Marečková for her performance of a part in Sternenhoch. In the current season, the audience can see the prizewinning production at the New Stage on 21 March and 2 April, with both performances starting at 8 pm.  

The composer and librettist Ivan Acher said:

“One of the audience’s praises makes me particularly happy: ‘I have never seen an opera performance attended by tattooed youngsters and decrepit subscribers alike. Not only did they get together in one place at the same time, all of them left the theatre equally overwhelmed by the show.’ Sternenhoch simply delights us. Our team of kindred souls from all the corners of our country have put forth so much energy that we would feel hurt if we had failed to pass on the vigour from the rehearsals to the audience, as well as lay professionals and professional laymen. We are a happy gang indeed.”