Archa Theatre
Na Poříčí 26, 110 00, Prague 1
phone: +420 221 716 111
e-mail: archa@archatheatre.cz

Box Office
Phone: +420 221 716 333
Email: ticket@archatheatre.cz

Open: MON – FRI / 10am – 6pm /
on days of performances until 8pm

Performances start at 8pm, unless otherwise stated

Leaving by author, playwright and former president of the Czech Republic Václav Havel was among the most anticipated premieres of 2008. The story of a politician relinquishing power and giving way to his replacement is replete with originality and humour. The play features Zuzana Stivínová and Jan Tříska in the lead roles.

The play is directed by David Radok, one of the most celebrated directors in the world. His directorial debut was at the Gothenburg opera in 1980 and operas which he has since directed have appeared on stages in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Berlin, Dresden, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.

Director: David Radok
Stage design: David Radok a Jaromír Vlček
Costumes: Zuzana Ježková
Featuring: Jan Tříska (Rieger), Zuzana Stivínová (Irena), Vlasta Chramostová (Grandma), Ivan Řezáč (Klein), Marek Daniel (Viktor), Karel Beseda (Jack), Eva Hromníková (Vlasta), Dora Bouzková (Bea), Bořivoj Navrátil (Hanuš), Ján Sedal (Knobloch), Zuzana Stavná (Zuzana), Petra Lustigová (Monika), Jan Skopeček (Osvald), Philipp Schenker (Bob), Jan Březina (Albín), Eduard Čubr (Policeman), Jaroslav Synek (Policeman), Věra Víchová (Cleaner)

Directed by: David Radok
Stage design: David Radok and Jaromír Vlček
Costumes: Zuzana Ježková
Featuring: Jan Tříska (Rieger), Zuzana Stivínová  (Irena), Vlasta Chramostová (Grandma), Ivan Řezáč (Klein), Marek Daniel (Viktor), Karel Beseda (Jack), Eva Hromníková (Vlasta), Dora Bouzková  (Bea), Bořivoj Navrátil (Hanuš), Ján Sedal (Knobloch), Zuzana Stavná (Zuzana), Petra Lustigová (Monika),
Otakar Brousek st (Osvald), Philipp Schenker (Bob), Jan Březina (Albín), Eduard Čubr (Policeman), Jaroslav Synek (Policeman), Věra Víchová (Cleaner)

Václav Havel’s author’s rights to the dramatic work are represented by Aura-Pont s.r.o.

Tickets:
CZK 690 parterre / 1st - 5th row
CZK 590 parterre / 6th - 9th row, balcony / 1st row
CZK 490 balcony / 2nd row     
CZK 290 balcony / 3rd row          
CZK 220 balcony / standing, student

Tickets go on sale at the Archa Theatre box office and TICKETPRO on August 3, 2009.

In Czech.

From the press:

If you want to see real 21st century theatre right now in Prague that is original, metaphorical and at the same time communicates a stage poetry – no Biedermeier illusionist boxes – then go to Archa for Havel’s and Radok’s Leaving.
Vladimír Just, Literární noviny

Once all of the ecstatic articles celebrating the power and drama of Václav Havel’s play Leaving have passed, one fact will remain: this is the indisputable quality of Havel’s writing and the excellent staging by David Radok. Leaving at Archa Theatre is the event of the season, not only a social event, but above all a theatrical one.
Jana Soprová, Scéna.cz

A month before the end of the season, it can be stated with confidence that the staging of Leaving is among its supreme events. It is a great success for Václav Havel, David Radok and the actors, as well as for the Archa Theatre team, which demonstrated courage in a complicated situation. 
Jana Machalická, Lidové noviny

Premiere league: Havel returns to theatre in triumph.
Kate Connolly, The Guardian

Freed from power, Havel mocks it.
Andrew Purvis, Time Magazine

What can a popular ex-president do for a second act? Václav Havel has returned to his theatre roots. Mr. Havel’s first new play in 20 years opened in the Archa Theatre.
Melena Ryzik, The New York Times

The fact that the play was staged on time at Archa is itself a miracle. Since the start of the year, like many other Prague theatres, Archa has had to make do without State funding. Not one crown of public funding has been put into the staging. Radok’s staging came into being only with the support of private sponsors. The premiere was met with ten minutes of applause, a standing ovation and cries of bravo. Havel, who was invited onto the stage, appeared just as the Czechs know and love him: a little embarrassed. He was also visibly happy and pleased.

Von Hans-jörg Schmidt, Die Welt

The most anticipated theatrical event of the year – the premiere of Václav Havel’s Leaving – took place at Archa Theatre. It ended with a standing ovation.
MF Dnes

Back to art, Havel meditates on power.
Leaving is a semiautobiographical “King Lear”-like meditation on the seductiveness of power. 
Dan Bilefsky, The New York Times

A standing ovation for Havel’s return to the theatre.
Reuters

Stories in The Guardian newspaper about Leaving:

http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/1211566051796/3781/gdn.new.080524.tw.vaclav_havel.mp3

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/may/24/culture.theatre

The Media partner of the project is the influential weekly newspaper Respekt. In November last year, Respekt Publishing published Václav Havel’s play Odcházení (Leaving), which became the first work of the new series Respekt Edice.




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In November last year Respekt Publishing published Václav Havel’s play Odcházení (Leaving), which became the first work of the new series Respekt Edice.





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We would like to thank:

Bessel Kok

Sebastian Pawlowski

Mr. & Mrs. Sýkora

Hermes

Arte Plus

Ateliér Šupina