Two Parallel Guest Performances Connected Theatres in Zagreb and LjubljanaDrama — 21. October 2026.
HNK2 welcomed the Slovenian Youth Theatre with No Carmen! as part of the HNK2EU programme, while the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb performed Always Be Like a Dragon in Ljubljana.
On Monday, 19 October, two parallel guest performances brought together the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and the Slovenian Youth Theatre in Ljubljana. While Zagreb audiences had the opportunity to see Slovenian theatre artists in No Carmen! at HNK2, the ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb performed Always Be Like a Dragon, written by Espi Tomičić and directed by Olja Lozica, for audiences in Ljubljana.
No Carmen! brings a provocative contemporary dramatic reinterpretation of Georges Bizet’s celebrated opera Carmen. Taking one of the best-known stories in the operatic repertoire as its starting point, the production examines how theatre portrays women, shapes social perceptions and perpetuates stereotypes. It also raises questions about power relations within the theatre system and the limits of artistic freedom and responsibility in the process of creating a theatre production. A discussion with the artists followed the performance, giving the audience an opportunity to reflect further on the themes explored in the production. The performance was warmly received by Zagreb audiences, who rewarded the artists with applause.
On the same day, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb performed Always Be Like a Dragon, written by Espi Tomičić and directed by Olja Lozica, at the Slovenian Youth Theatre in Ljubljana. In 2022, the script for this intimate and socially engaged drama was selected as one of the best plays submitted to the CNT Competition for Contemporary Playwriting. The play intertwines a coming-of-age story and a search for identity with themes of poverty, homelessness and family trauma. The CNT Zagreb Drama ensemble presented the production to Ljubljana audiences, who rewarded the artists with warm applause.
The two parallel guest performances foster an exchange of theatrical experience and artistic perspectives between Croatia and Slovenia, bringing contemporary theatre productions to audiences beyond their home cities.
The guest performances are supported by a subsidy from the European Theatre Convention (ETC) for the performing arts and collaboration.
