Prague - The Aura-Pont literary agency signed a contract with Vinohrady Theatre on producing the latest play by Václav Havel, called Leaving.
There have been months of disputes about which theatre will be the first in the Czech Republic to stage the new text by the world known playwright and dissident who became president and now returned to writing.
The Vinohrady Theatre ended up with the coveted trophy as it promised to accommodate the author's casting requirements the main obstacle leading to the failure of negotiations with the National Theatre.
Eight months away
The play will be directed by David Radok, the role of Irena will be played by Havel's wife Dagmar, and the theatre is starting talks with the Czech actor Jan Tříska on his performing the lead role of the Chancellor Rieger.
"The first performance is expected to take place by the end of May/beginning of June, the date of the official world premiere will be announced later," Jitka Sloupová from Aura-Pont told Aktuálně.cz.
By the end of next year, Leaving will be produced by at least two other Czech theatres.
Klicpera Theatre in Hradec Králové already applied officially for performing rights; the play should be staged by Havel's close collaborator, the director Andrej Krob on its newly renovated chamber space of Beseda.
The South Bohemian Theatre in České Budějovice should produce the text on its Old Theatre stage.
Media attention started to concentrate on the new Havel play because of the lengthy and unsuccessful negotiations about a possible production at the Prague National Theatre.
Critics say Leaving is one of the best Havel plays so far. They say National Theatre was neither wise nor courteous when it did not find a way to reach an agreement with the playwright.
Neither are they satisfied with the decision to stage the play at Vinohrady: the theatre is too sedate with a rather traditional audience, and Havel's text is not really appropriate for it, they say.
Interest abroad
The final draft of the play was completed in June, and the play is generating plenty of interest abroad. Leading translators are already working on producing versions in the main world languages and in the languages of Visegrad countries.
The first contract for a foreign production of the play will be signed by Aura-Pont and the Slovak National Theatre. "The play will be produced also by the end of 2008 on the main stage of the new building," Sloupová explained.
Aura-Pont is negotiating licensing agreements with agents in Germany and Italy. In the UK, two theatres are interested in producing the play, including the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. RSC staged Havel's Temptation in the '80 with great success.
In the US, where the play was written last winter during Havel's stay, three theatres are reportedly applying to stage the American premiere.
"Interest in the play was also expressed by academics, theatres and agents from Croatia, Serbia, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Belgium and Netherlands," said Sloupová.
