The Bartered Bride

Changes to the summer 2024 program

The Bartered Bride, which was scheduled for Saturday 3 August, has been brought forward to Thursday 1 August because of the schedule reasons. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by these changes. If you have a ticket for the performance on Saturday, August 3rd, please see detailed instructions here.

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Witty and sharp, expressive and danceable for the whole family, The Bartered Bride is a part of the Czech DNA. Audiences at the National Theatre in Prague keep coming back to laugh (at it and at themselves) over and over again. There have already been 21 different productions by this opera company alone.  

A witty and sharp story about the struggle for true love.

The story is about the struggle for true love in an idyllic rural setting. Film and theatre director Alice Nellis has added a hilarious extra dimension: the production also takes a humorous look at how this national musical treasure has been adapted for the stage over almost 160 years. Thus, in addition to the love story, we witness the birth of a captivating operatic performance, complete with rehearsals. What is it like behind the scenes, and can the director impose his will and manage to create something new? 

Performed by our visiting opera company National Theatre Prague.

Our guest – Národní divadlo, the National Theatre in Prague – is one of Europe’s great opera houses. Its story is part of European history, through the Nazi occupation and communism. Even in challenging times, its spirit has retained a special appeal.  

When the Prague National Theatre visited the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1991, the company’s dramaturge told Helsingin Sanomat: ‘Many international singers visit Prague. The Prague Opera, however, has no foreign currency with which to pay them. But that’s not a problem, because visiting singers don’t even want money in the current situation. They just want to sing in the Prague Opera that they love.’ 

Times have changed, but the love remains.