The Return of the King (Návrat krále)
A song-based philosophical retro musical about homesickness and a singer who (didn't) emigrate.
| Švandovo Theatre Ensemble |
| Show Length: | 2 hrs 35 min including intermission |
|---|---|
| Director: | Jakub Čermák |
| Cast: | Jan Mansfeld, Jakub Tvrdík, Jan Grundman, Anna Grundmanová, Miroslav Hruška, Nataša Bednářová, Bohdana Pavlíková, Marie Štípková, Andrea Buršová, Luboš Veselý, Marek Frňka, Matěj Anděl, Natálie Hejlová, Štěpánka Pečenková, Barbora Blažková, Marta Veselá, Tereza Hasserová, Natálie Eliášová, Klára Müllerová, Jolana Zachová |
| Premiere Date: | 25. 5. 2024 |
Upcoming Performances
If you can't anymore, sing more!
The popular singer Gabriel Král lives in a state-owned, corporate dormitory and tries to fully fulfill all obligations to his homeland, the audience, but above all to music. After nights between the umakart walls, he listens to Wish Songs and dreams of a perfect, shining show, in which the singers not only have costumes sewn with a flood of sequins, but are also accompanied by graceful and pitch-perfect female vocalists. They have it all over there, far in the West. Whereas here, in a centrally planned system, everything is dull, imperfect, amateurish. Gabriel Král feels that the time has come to change things, to take responsibility for the muses and his talent into his own hands... And so one day he disappears. Where else but to the land where they have everything he dreamed of. Where he will finally have everything he's been longing for. However, he soon finds that no one is interested in his romantic songs about bringing bodies and souls together, and that local vaudeville shows have their dark side. His ideals and visions are being undermined. All the more so when he gets to know the fates of other emigrants. Fortunately, there is music, a balm for the soul, whoever Gabriel Král signed it to.
The original philosophical retro musical from recent Czechoslovak history was commissioned by the Švanda Theatre. The author of the text and the director Jakub Čermák together with the composer of the music Petr Marek (from the band Midi Lidi) play very imaginatively, even with Bernhardian skepticism, with the theme of idol and ideal, emigration and longing for the homeland, as well as with the obscurity of pop music, which to this day awakens a strangely perverse sentiment in many of us.
Please note that the production contains explicit expressions and scenic images unsuitable for viewers under the age of 15.
Please note that there are sharp light impulses of stroboscopic nature in the production.
CHARACTERS AND CAST
GABRIEL KRÁL: Jan Mansfeld
LÁDÍNEK, MANAGER IN THE CSSR: Jakub Tvrdík
STATE AGENCY DIRECTOR, FOREIGN MANAGER: Jan Grundman
DIRECTOR'S WIFE, SINGER IN THE CSSR, SOCIALIST WOMAN AND OTHERS: Anna Grundmanová
SOUND DESIGNER, CONDUCTOR IN EMIGRATION AND OTHERS: Miroslav Hruška
VOCALIST, SOCIALIST WOMAN, SINGER IN EMIGRATION: Nataša Bednářová
CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION, SOCIALIST WOMAN, WOMAN AT THE CONCERT AND OTHERS: Bohdana Pavlíková
HAIRDRESSER, SOCIALIST WOMAN, GERMAN WOMAN WITH BULLDOG AND OTHERS: Marie Štípková
BANNED SINGER, GERMAN WOMAN WITH A POODLE: Andrea Buršová
GENERAL SECRETARY, SINGER IN THE CSSR AND OTHERS: Luboš Veselý
SINGER IN EMIGRATION, SINGER IN THE CSSR AND OTHERS: Marek Frňka
SINGER IN THE CSSR, MAN IN THE BACKGROUND OF A CONCERT IN THE CSSR AND OTHERS: Matěj Anděl
FIRST PIONEER, SOCIALIST WOMAN AND OTHERS: Štěpánka Pečenková
SECOND PIONEER, SOCIALIST WOMAN AND OTHERS: Natálie Hejlová
COMPARS: Barbora Blažková, Natálie Eliášová, Tereza Hasserová, Klára Müllerová, Marta Veselá, Jolana Zachová
PRODUCTION TEAM
DIRECTOR: Jakub Čermák
DRAMATURGY: Martina Kinská
STAGE DESIGN: Pavlína Chroňáková and Martina Zwyrtek
MUSIC: Petr Marek (Midi Lidi)
CHOREOGRAPHY: Marek Svobodník
COREPETITION: Zdeněk Dočekal
ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR: Barbora Soukupová Osvaldová
STAGE MANAGER: Petra Štanclová
PRODUCTION: Tereza Marková
Gallery
References
Král se vrátí! On si to rozmyslí, určitě...
STUDENÝ ČUMÁČEK (blog), i-divadlo.czRecenze: Jak šel Kája do světa. Pražští divadelníci zbavují Gotta nedotknutelnosti
Marcela Magdová, Aktuálně.czGABRIEL KRÁL JAKO KAREL GOTT VE ŠVANDOVĚ DIVADLE. ZBABĚLEC, ANEBO POUHÝ UTĚŠITEL?
Adéla Kalusová, ČT artFlitry husákovského showbyznysu. Retromuzikál ve Švanďáku si bere na mušku „cvičnou“ emigraci Karla Gotta do SRN
Jana Soprová, lidovky.cz
The Return of the King (Návrat krále)
| Švandovo Theatre Ensemble |
| Show Length: | 2 hrs 35 min including intermission |
|---|---|
| Director: | Jakub Čermák |
| Cast: | Jan Mansfeld, Jakub Tvrdík, Jan Grundman, Anna Grundmanová, Miroslav Hruška, Nataša Bednářová, Bohdana Pavlíková, Marie Štípková, Andrea Buršová, Luboš Veselý, Marek Frňka, Matěj Anděl, Natálie Hejlová, Štěpánka Pečenková, Barbora Blažková, Marta Veselá, Tereza Hasserová, Natálie Eliášová, Klára Müllerová, Jolana Zachová |
| Premiere Date: | 25. 5. 2024 |
