November19 2026 (Thu)
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
The Bacchae
Drama with English subtitles
110 minutes | National Theatre drama with subtitles | Available
| Date: | November 19, 2026 | 19:00 (Thu) |
|---|---|
| Venue: | Estates Theatre in Prague |
| Duration: | 110 minutes |
| Intermission: | No |
| Status: | Available |
Ticket in your mobile device accepted
The Bacchae by Euripides (c. 480 – c. 405 BC) foregrounds the themes of humility, revenge, mass hysteria, as well as travesty
In Czech with English subtitles
The young god Dionysus arrives in Thebes so as to initiate the city inhabitants into his cult. His passionate female followers, the Bacchae, revel in a strange ritual, during which they indulge in orgies and fall into a madness-like state. Their behaviour infuriates King Pentheus of Thebes, who confronts the stranger. Unfortunately, he has no inkling who his rival is, ignoring the advice of those around him to show humility. The arrival of a new god may not necessarily mean salvation, yet it certainly does herald the accession of a new order. Who is right? Is it Pentheus, who refuses to understand the impending change and instead strives to firmly grasp the world, or is it Dionysus the “rubble rouser”? Perhaps equilibrium can never hold sway without chaos …
The production of The Bacchae by Euripides (c. 480 – c. 405 BC) foregrounds the themes of humility, revenge, mass hysteria, as well as travesty, focusing on the conflict arising in individuals and entire communities as a result of repudiation of religion. And it raises timeless questions. Although deeming ourselves to be atheists, at the bottom of our hearts we, willy-nilly, harbour faith, with transcendence being still present today, as a dimension of life that is impossible to define but must be lived. At the present time, when we witness massive dissemination of all kinds of information, when “incontrovertible truths” flood the virtual space, when rational arguments yield ground to unfounded theories and fallacies, our civilisation seems to be heading to unavoidable perdition. People devour each other, strike one another with clubs, bite each other’s heads, get lost in fury and indulge in unstoppable rampage …
The production of Eurypides’ The Bacchae, to be staged at the Estates Theatre by Jan Frič, will undoubtedly present a singular interpretation of the Antique drama. The play will be presented in a new Czech translation by Matyáš Havrda and Petr Borkovec, directly commissioned by the National Theatre in Prague.
Important:
- Purchased tickets cannot be returned or exchanged
- No discounts are provided
- No intermission
- Theatre is a cultural institution. Please respect the common principles of appropriate behaviour and clothing
- Suitable for audience from 15 years
- Strobe light used during the performance
- The program may be subject to change
- The price includes service fee of 3,7 € (100,- CZK)
Venue photo gallery
Estates Theatre in Prague
| Address: | Ovocný trh 1 , Praha 1 |
|---|---|
| Capacity: | 589 |
| Type: | Theatre |
| Winter heating: | Yes |
| Wheelchair access: | Yes |
The Estates Theatre is one of the most beautiful historical theatre buildings in Europe
The Estates Theatre is deeply linked with the name of W. A. Mozart. Besides other of his works, it was the venue of world premieres of two Mozart operas: Don Giovanni (on 29 October 1787 – conducted by the composer himself) and La clemenza di Tito (1791, to mark the coronation of Leopold II). Enjoy the festive atmosphere of this beautiful theatre in which W. A. Mozart received enthusiastic ovations after conducting his operas. The Estates Theatre is in operation continuously since 1783. It was built by enlightened and patriotically minded Count Nostitz Rieneck, who thus aimed to enhance the cultural life of Prague inhabitans.
His idea, that a generally accessible theatre is a moral institution demonstrating the cultural level of the nation, was in compliance with the spirit of the late 18th century, the Age of Enlightenment, and the project of theatre was extremely important for Prague of that time. Although presenting plays in German language at first, the theatre soon started staging also Czech plays. In 1798 the Theatre was bought by the Czech Estates, hence its today´s name.
The Estates Theatre is inseparably linked with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The composer has visited Prague couple of times to compose and give concerts here, and in 1787 he presented his opera The Marriage of Figaro in the Estates Theatre.
Under the impression of its enthusiastic reception Mozart composed the Don Giovanni opera for Prague, and personally conducted its world premiere in the Estates Theatre. The opera was an immense success and that is how Don Giovanni and the Estates Theatre have entered the history...
The Estates Theatre was one of the locations in the famous film Amadeus by Miloš Forman. Although the name of Mozart shines the most brightly in the history of the theatre, the Estates Theatre allured many other distinct artists of Europe-wide significance.
Carl Maria von Weber was a musical director of the Theatre; the violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini gave a concert here; Arthur Rubinstein, Carl Goldmark and Gustav Mahler conducted at the theatre. Other famous personalities are i.e. the actors W. A. Iffland, F. Raimund, J. N. Nestroy, W. Scholze, I. Aldrige and many others.
The Estates Theatre was extremely important for the Czech theatre. From the pioneers such as the Thám brothers, to V. K. Klicpera, J. K. Tyl, J. J. Kollár, etc., the generations of leading creators and artists presented their plays here. The first Czech modern opera, Škroup’s The Tinker, was presented here in 1826.
The play Fidlovačka by J. K. Tyl and F. Škroup, premiered here, includes the song “Kde domov můj” (Where is My Home), which would later become the Czech national anthem. In the Estates Theatre you can see opera, drama and ballet performances.
How to get there:
- Accessibility by public transport:
metro A ( green line) or B (yellow line) - Můstek station - Nearest car parking:
Millenium Plaza, V Celnici 10, Prague 1, or Palladium or Kotva shopping malls on Náměstí Republiky
