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‘The Croatian National Theatre is not a streaming platform. We must offer audiences what they do not yet know they will enjoy’

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources New plan
  • Iva Hraste Sočo has begun a second term as director of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
  • The new season opens HNK2 and its HNK2EU cycle, featuring guest performances by major European theatres.
  • Hraste Sočo says the theatre has sought to preserve its tradition and artistic standards while opening more strongly to contemporary and international work and to audiences.

The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is opening a new stage, HNK2, with a European guest-performance cycle designed to bring major theatres and major productions to its audience.

The HNK2EU cycle is part of the 2026-2027 season, which also marks Iva Hraste Sočo’s second term as the theatre’s director. She spoke about the new season, the theatre’s direction and the renovation of the HNK building.

Looking back on her first four years, Hraste Sočo said she took charge in 2022 knowing that she was leading an institution with an exceptional history. She also believed it needed to answer clearly what a national theatre should mean in the 21st century.

She said the administration and ensembles had preserved the institution’s dignity, tradition and artistic standards while opening it more decisively to contemporary culture, the international arena and, above all, its audience. The new HNK2 programme continues that effort by bringing European theatre companies to Zagreb.

The Croatian National Theatre is not a streaming platform. We must offer audiences what they do not yet know they will enjoy.

· Iva Hraste SočoThe theatre director described its responsibility to offer audiences more than familiar or on-demand choices.
About this summary

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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