Tour Dates: 3 Aug - 27 Aug, 2012

Since the very beginning this Czech theatre ensemble has belonged to the best-known representatives of the Czech Theatre School world-wide.

Ticket Information:

4-5 August,  China National Theatre for Children, 4001016161
9 August, Yueyang Cultural & Artistic Convention & Exhibition Center, 0730-8320111
21 August, Lantian Grand Theatre, Shaoxing, 0575-81162828,81188222
23 August, Shanghai Oriental Art Center,  021-68541234
25-26 August, Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, 0512-62899875

Biography

Since its inception, the First Black Light Theatre has been among the best-known representatives of the Czech black light theatre genre world-wide.

It has participated in more than 65 international theatre festivals and performed more than 250 times in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Following their appearance at the International Theatre in Edinburgh in 1962, the Times wrote that the ensemble had "brought back magic to the world stages".

The art form popularized by Jiří Srnec, the founder and art director of theatre, is based on creative variations on simple optical illusion known as "black cabinet". A primitive form of this principle was known even in ancient China, and it has been used by artists ever since, including in cinema (Mélies) and theatre (Stanislavský).

In black light theatre, the black-clad actors manipulating the props are not the audience against the blcak background. In this way the props and objects appear to miraculously move themselves. This magical moment, accompanied by a dramatic musical soundacape, allows Jiří Srnec and his actors to evoke a turly atmospheric setting for thier mysterious on stage theatrics.

After years of guest performances on stages throughout Prague, the original the Black Light Theatre has now found a home in Divadlo v Celetné, where they will perform their latest play "Bílý Pierot v černém" (White Pierot in Black) April.

For more information, please visit: www.blacktheatresrnec.cz

Artistic Director: Jiří Srnec

Jiří Srnec, founder and artistic director graduated from the high school of applied arts, the state music conservatory and finally the puppet and stage design department of the academy of arts in Prague. This constitutes his almost all-round abilities in preparing his unique performances, in which he participates as an author, director, music composer, art designer and in precious years as an actor. Under his direction and leadership the company gained its world fame. Those invisible, dressed in black, those who succeed in disclosing the hidden secrets of things among which we live, are the main actors of the Black Light Theatre. Jiří Srnec is a winner of several prestigious international awards obtained both from the audience and critics. He is the author of 20 original Black Light Theatre performances; he participated as an author of some others like the performance of laterna magica “wonderful circus”, which under his direction achieved remarkable 5,500 reruns.

Reviews

"The First Black Light Theatre reminds me of the saying of Victor Hugo, who said 'a fair is hidden behind each thing that you can see'.  They return the spectator into the world of the poetry of a dream, into the fantastic wonders of childhood."

-- La Libre Belgique

"The First Black Light Theatre is a collection of strange fascinating magic.  I mean the real magic, the continuous, unbelievably smooth amusing and absolutely fascinating stream of surrealism, which is so simple that it must be incredidbly complicated - in the background. Really excellent..."

-- The Province

"The surrealistic world created by Jiri Srnec and his talented actors and illusionists seems to be only a step from the world created by Hieronymus Bosch years ago, and by Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Picabia not that long ago.  It is a world of dreams... Black Light Theatre Prague must be seen and perceived.  It provides a unique and changeable experience to those who yield to its strange power."

-- The Vancouver Sun

"The First Black Light Theatre is agile and fascinating, in particular in short sketches when eleven actors and their invisible colleagues move iwth silent joy through the strange world of Srnec's dreams.  It worthy seeing it because their performance is a unique playground of absurdity without a compromise..."

-- Philadelphia Daily News

"Enchantment of the magic on the stage, playfulness and relaxing imagination.  Black Light Theatre Prague can be called most original stage organisation in the world and I do not know how one could deny this statement..."

-- New York Post

"The ensemble is utmost excellent and inventive and ful of imagination as always; at the same time it maintained its almost childish innocence, which belongs among its most magic qualities…"

-- The Gazette, Montreal

"The fire of tricks shoots from the dark, brilliant combination of movements and music, mimics, puppeteering and pure magic on the stage.  It is a dazzling extraordinary performance..."

-- Daily Mail

For booking inquiry please contact:

Ms. Gao He
Project Manager
Tel. +86 10 5165 0798 ext. 11
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Shanghai Sponsor:

Shanghai Preciosa Trading Co., Ltd.