The very first theatrical, contemporary-dance and puppet-show rendition of our national heritage.

The Show

Bedřich Smetana’s My Country is an enchanting piece of music. As soon as the first tones of the symphonic work ring out, so many of us are filled with emotion, ephemeral beauty and perhaps even a sense of national pride. No Czech patriot can confuse its second poem, The Moldau, for anything else.

Perhaps you can remember the first time you ever heard this gem. Was it at school? On the radio? In the car? At a concert hall? Not at the theatre, that much is clear. Indeed, as we have discovered, this work has never been put on stage in its entirety.

The creative team behind the dance-and-music show The Jungle Book has teamed up with other artists in order to make this happen for a wonderful first time. The first encounter with My Country, a masterpiece of Czech classical music, is about to take place at the Azyl78 big top, in a romantic rather than philharmonic environment.

The Grand Knight Challenge

Come early with your kids and enter them in the Grand Knight Challenge! For all the dates you can buy a ticket for Matej Forman's art workshop, which will be a real challenge for young and determined knights. For 300 CZK you will get a ticket to the workshop for making hobby horses in the Blanické Knights' "stable". The horses will be ready to be painted and saddled an hour and a half before the start of the performance. Together with their little creators, they will then get the opportunity to play an important role in My Country. And beware, the capacity of the creative workshop is limited! Only 20 seats are available for each performance.

Who We Are

The production of My Country will be a joint venture by several creative individuals. Which way will their paths take them? What shared experiences, and what unique individual moments does their pilgrimage throughout this exquisite musical territory hold for them?

Matěj Forman and his team of close collaborators will create the general visual style and the image of the landscape. He will direct some of the symphonic poems and meet other storytellers on the way.

Marko Ivanović’s remarkable talent will bring the musical wealth of a symphonic orchestra from the concert hall to the circus tent.

Janek Jirků will be inviting the audience for a walk across select poems in his attempt to find puppet-theatre and visual-art language where so far “only” the score has sufficed.

Štěpán Pechar as the chief choreographer of the project is going to capture in motion rather than words some of the feelings of a wanderer through the Czech countryside.

Anti Sodomková, with her famous visual creativity, will not only enrich the show with costume design for our proud patriots, but also contribute to props and stage design.

Cast
Lukas Blaha Bliss, Patrik Čermák, Florian Garcia, Josef Bobeš Havelka, Albert Kaše, Andrej Lyga, Natalia Metodijeva, Šimon Pliska, Eva Stará, Dora Sulženko Hoštová, Nela Štarková, Adriana Štefaňáková, Ondřej Vinklát, Andrea Vykysalá, Václav Wortner
Flute – Michaela Blažková, Eliška Bošková, Kateřina Jansová
Oboe – Vladislav Borovka, Jana Brožková, Jiří Zelba
Clarinet – Jan Brabec, Jan Mach, Marek Pavíček, Petr Sinkule
Basson – Tomáš Františ, Martina Homolková, Jaroslav Kubita
French horn – Kateřina Javůrková, Mikuláš Koska, Hana Sapáková, Jan Vobořil
Trumpet – Walter Hofbauer, Stanislav Masaryk, Marek Vajo
Trombone – Lukáš Besuch, Robert Kozánek, Lukáš Moťka, Bohumil Tůma
Tuba – Jakub Chmelař, Jakub Maňák, Václav Steklý
Timpani, percussion – Miroslav Kejmar, Pavel Polívka
Piano – Andrea Mottlová, Karolina Pancernaite
Accordion / banjo / ocarina – Tomáš Görtler, Zdeněk Zelba
1st violin – Marie Dvorská, Viktor Mazáček, Helena Skopová
2nd violine – Milena Kolářová, Filip Kubita, Vítězslav Ochman, Markéta Vokáčová
Viola – Pavel Ciprys, Jiří Poslední, Jan ŠimonCelloJan Holeňa, Jan Keller, Marek Novák
Double bass – Tomáš Karpíšek, Roman Koudelka
Music by
Bedřich Smetana
Musical arrangement, rehearsal direction
Marko Ivanović
Script, set design, direction
Matěj Forman
Concept, script, direction
Janek Jirků
Choreography, direction
Štěpán Pechar
Costumes and masks
Andrea Sodomková
Puppet creation, production and technology
Petr Pasler, Tereza Komárková, Josef Sodomka, Jitka Barnetová, Renata a Martin Lhotákovi
Painting
Barbora Zichová, Veronika Doutlíková, Matěj Forman
Artistic and craft collaboration
Jana Lábrová, Čahoun Míra Vosecký, Šárka Sedláková, Marek Rejent, Romana Slavíčková, Marie Juklíková, Antonie Hlavicová, Krištof Pochman, Daniela Paseková, Ema Sodomková
Curtain
Magdalena Rutová
Producer
Štěpán Kubišta
Head of production
Tereza Baschová
Technical production
Jiří Cmunt
Head of set design construction
Vojtěch Kočí
Head of technical crew and rigging
Romana Stachovičová
Stage manager, rigging assistant
Petr Pasler
Sound design
Jan Středa, Juraj Mišejka
Light design
Jan Dörner, Lukáš Brinda
Costume production
Roman Dobeš
Head of wardrobe
Anna Homola
Wardrobe
Veronika Blažejovská, Adéla Hájková, Kateřina Klára Plašilová
Mask making, children’s workshop
Jitka Barnetová
Head of marketing and PR
Lenka Čápová
PR, press contact
Zuzana Hošková
Online marketing
Tereza Bártová
Social media
Anna Reisigová
Visuals
Magdalena Rutová (illustrations), Jan Čumlivski (typography)
Photography
Irena Vodáková, Jana Lábrová, Karolína Malá, Michael Amico
Project financial management
Kateřina Husičková
Guest list, ticketing
Bára Zemanová
Czech Philharmonic production
Adéla Bartáková, Bára Linková
Účinkující
Lukas D. Blaha, Patrik Čermák, Florian Garcia, Josef Bobeš Havelka, Albert Kaše, Andrej Lyga, Andrea Vykysalá, Natalia Metodijeva, Šimon Pliska, Eva Stará, Dora Sulženko Hoštová, Nela Štarková, Adriana Štefaňáková, Ondřej Vinklát, Václav Wortner, hudebnice a hudebníci z České filharmonie

Dancers, actors and puppeteers as the true “patriots” of the theatre will provide My Country with their talent and undying willingness to collaborate. The show will feature members of ensembles such as Dekkadancers and Holektiv, musicians from the Czech Philharmonic, and last but not least, artists from the popular improvisation collective Us Boys Who Go Out Together.

The show is suitable for lovers of music, dance, improvisation, puppets, visual art and spectacular theatre of any age.

When We Play

Where to Find Us

Azyl78 is located in the rear section of the Výstaviště Exhibition Grounds in the park.
GPS19834.51672

Public Transport
Tram No 6, 12 and 17 to Výstaviště stop. The metro or the train to Holešovice Train Station and then by tram or on foot.

By Car
Access by car is possible via the Za Elektrárnou street. The car park is situated next to the public swimming pool. Vending machines are in place. 1 hour per 60 CZK, all day 300 CZK.

Rekola Bikesharing
A Rekola Bikesharing hotspot is available right next to our big top. You do not need to be a keen cyclist to grab a pink bike from the Výstaviště tram stop and use it to speed up your journey. Even if you are coming with time to spare, cycling our way only takes 5 minutes!

Main partner
Project partners
Co-producers
Main media partner
Media partners
Partners of Azyl78
Partners of the premiere
The production of My Country is held under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel.