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Václav Havel – the dramatic genius, the persecuted dissident, the man of truth and ideals but also a lover of good beer and pretty women. A portrait of the first post-1989 Czech president presented as a modern-day musical, Velvet Havel is a multi-award-winning production from the cult Prague Theatre on the Balustrade.
The title refers to the memorable Velvet Revolution that took place in Autumn 1989 in then Czechoslovakia, and this unique cabaret-style musical, in repertoire since 2014, presents the life, work, and multifaceted personality of Václav Havel – and is as much a light-hearted comedy as a serious 90-minute drama. Philosophical contemplations are balanced by playful songs from the acclaimed Czech composer Milos Orson Stedron, performed by a live band. It is through these tunes that the play´s characters are given a voice, a chance to have their say concerning the thoughts and actions of Václav Havel, already a legend during his lifetime.
The play´s storyline follows his public, as well as his private life, focusing on political activities and their outcomes – such as imprisonment following his decision to become a spokesman for the famed Charter 77. From the beginning to the very height of his political career as president, the storyline features Havel´s life-long friends, family relations and love interests. The inspiration behind his writings is personified by the occasional ´femmes fatales´; his first wife Olga, an extraordinary motherly figure who played a vital role in his life and his uncle Miloš Havel, a charming showman and a skilful entrepreneur, who owned and ran the famous Lucernafilm Production Company.
As the characters´ glittering musical performances intermingle with quotes from Havel´s timeless literary legacy, the play reveals the deeply humane nature behind the celebrated facade of one of the greatest men in modern Czech history.
Duration: 75 minutes without interval
In Czech with English surtitles
Tickets: £20, sold via Rich Mix (see link below) from 5 September
Part of Czech Velvet 1989 – 2019; Festival of Arts, Film, Theatre and Music.
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