World Premiere of the Ballet 'Othello' Receives Prolonged Applause and Standing OvationFrom the theatre — 28. June 2026.
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb brought its 2025/2026 season to a close in grand style with the world premiere of the ballet Othello, choreographed and directed by Valentina Turcu. Following the performance, the production was met with prolonged applause and standing ovations from an enthusiastic audience.
The enthusiastic applause was a tribute to the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb Ballet Company, the creative team, and all the artists who contributed to this demanding production.
Set to the music of Gustav Mahler, this new ballet interpretation of Shakespeare's timeless tragedy offers a contemporary reading of a story of love, jealousy, manipulation, and the abuse of power. Valentina Turcu signs the choreography, direction, dramaturgy, and musical concept of the production, continuing her successful artistic collaboration with the Ballet of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
The role of Othello is performed alternately by Guilherme Gameiro Alves and Pavel Savin, while Takuya Sumitomo and Yuho Yoshioka share the role of Iago. Desdemona is danced by Iva Vitić Gameiro and Natalia Kosovac, and Emilia by Rieka Suzuki Sumitomo and Asuka Maruo.
Demand for tickets was exceptionally high from the very beginning, with every performance selling out months in advance, confirming the audience's strong interest and bringing to a close one of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb's most successful seasons in recent years.
The world premiere of Othello also marked the ceremonial conclusion of the theatre's 2025/2026 season, distinguished by numerous artistic achievements, acclaimed premieres, and exceptional audience attendance. The ballet returns to the repertoire in October 2026.
