National Theatre in Košice
🎭 A Dramatic Blend of Culture in the Heart of Košice
The National Theatre Košice serves up a truly dramatic mix on its rich cultural menu. It is home to drama, ballet, opera, and operetta. The theatre operates on two stages: the main one is located in a magnificent historical building from 1899, while the smaller stage is housed in a stylish Art Deco building. This theatre is not only one of Košice’s most important cultural monuments, but also a prominent landmark of the city’s historical core. It stands right next to the famous Singing Fountain, which is sure to catch your eye.
🏛 A Glimpse into the Theatre’s History
In Košice – the metropolis of eastern Slovakia – theatre has a tradition that stretches back more than six centuries. Performances were once held under the open sky, in wooden huts, in schools, and in various temporary spaces. The current National Theatre building is a designated historical monument.
The drama ensemble made its debut in Slovak theatre with the premiere of Marína Havranová. Almost simultaneously, the opera ensemble launched its first performance with the operetta Polish Blood. The first ballet evening featured Les Sylphides, The Mermaid, and Polovtsian Dances. Today, the theatre bears the name of one of Slovakia’s most influential theatre artists – director Janko Borodáč, who in 1945 was appointed to build a professional theatre in Košice from both an organisational and artistic perspective.
🎟 Profile of the Theatre
From the beginning, the National Theatre Košice has focused on the unified artistic vision of three ensembles: drama, opera/operetta, and ballet. The development of drama has been most notably shaped by director Janko Borodáč, who staged 24 productions in Košice – half of them rooted in Slovak and Russian classics. His methodical direction in the spirit of realism left a lasting imprint on the company’s acting style.
The Košice ballet ensemble is one of only two professional companies in Slovakia dedicated to classical ballet. Its repertoire includes works for all age groups – from fairy-tale ballets to contemporary dance productions. The drama troupe confidently tackles works by Shakespeare or Chekhov, while the opera company excels in masterpieces by Puccini, Rossini, Dvořák, Mozart, Smetana, and Verdi. The ballet ensemble also successfully interprets compositions by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
