HNK Split premieres 'Herscht 07769' based on Nobel laureate Laszlo Krasznahorka's novel

The 72nd Splitsko Ljeto festival will open with the premiere of the play Herscht 07769 at HNK Split’s Dujmovač venue on 29 July 2026, with performances extending through 31 July and on 1 August. The production is directed by Ivica Buljan and adapted for the stage by Ivan Penović from the novel Herscht 07769 by Laszlo Krasznahorka, the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. The novel was translated into Croatian by Xenia Detoni and depicts a fictional German town, exploring themes of isolation, radicalisation and ideological tension. Buljan described the work as a demanding but essential theatrical challenge, while the creative team—including scenographer Aleksandar Denić, costume designer Ana Savić Gecan and composer Lukša Vučić—aims to capture the complex emotional landscape. Organisers highlighted the production’s significance for Croatian theatre and its reflection of broader European issues.