Theatre and performance programme at Pohoda 2024
"Putting together a theatre and performance programme for Pohoda is challenging because there are only a few programme slots and in Slovakia, we have a lot to choose from. I focus primarily on the domestic scene, seeing Pohoda as a small theatre showcase where people can get to know a theatre or a collective from another city that they don't normally have the opportunity to see," adds Alžbeta Vzrgula, director and dramaturge of the performative programme at Pohoda.
19. May 2024
In the Optimistan, the smallest festival tent where we perform theatre, big names will take the stage. The Slovak National Theatre will present the production Budete mať luft! (Just Wait for It! We’re Coming for You!), which addresses our memories, the Slovak majority's memories, of the anti-Roma pogrom of 1928 in the village of Pobedim, near Trenčín. It is an important and harrowing piece, crafted with high-quality theatrical techniques.
Another big name on the small stage will be Blaho Uhlár's Stoka Theatre with their new production Škovránok (The Lark). Those familiar with Stoka can look forward to another surprising performance, while those who aren't can simply look forward to what awaits them.
The programme of big names at the Optimistan will be closed by the performance of Adam Dragun, another future big name, with a video installation and an original lecture performance called Prcat (To Shag). In this piece, he engages in candid conversations with his grandparents about a topic few openly discuss: first sexual experiences.
My special pick is Svadobná sieň (The Wedding Hall) by Peter Mazalán and Eva Šušková. On Saturday, a typical wedding day, we will explore relationships based on alternative forms of love. "QPR" stands for queer platonic relationship, denoting a non-romantic but deeply meaningful bond between straight and queer people. I wish that all people had such relationship in their lives, because it is a recipe for a more mature society.
And humour will not be missing either. It will be provided by Silné reči and their stand-up crew. There's no need for further explanation—they'll speak for themselves.
I am glad that this year, alongside drama formats, contemporary dance has a strong presence. Contemporary dance can be an unknown, but you just need to open yourself up to it. A great introduction to this world is the performance Súčasný čo? (Contemporary What?) from the Banská Bystrica Dance Theatre, which presents the history and main creative principles of dance in an accessible and playful form, even for laypeople.
This will be followed by Let’s Have a Kiki with House of Velvet, where the performance will seamlessly transition into a workshop that will make everyone feel beautiful and confident.
Another moment of building a relationship with dance will be the performance of The Urge by the dance collective Tanečno, featuring dynamic choreography accompanied by a saxophone performance within the festival grounds.
Theatre at Pohoda may be an opportunity for some people to "give it a try." It can be a place of first contact with this art form, and that's perfectly fine. Better late – in the summer, during the theatre holidays and at a music festival – than never.
— Alžbeta Vrzgula, theatre director and dramaturge of the performance programme at Pohoda