Slovak National Theatre faces crisis over cancelled Hamlet production

The Slovak National Theatre (SND) is facing internal crisis following the sudden cancellation of a planned production of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet/To be or not to be’. Directed by Dušan D. Pařízek, the production was intended to be an atypical experience involving the movement of 800 spectators between the Great Stage and the Studio.

Miriam Kičiňová, director of the Drama Department, stated that the decision to postpone the premiere came in August, just one month before rehearsals were set to begin. While management provided varying explanations ranging from safety and legislative issues to commercial concerns, Pařízek has characterized the move as ‘political ordering and censorship.’

SND General Director Zuzana Ťapáková has denied any censorship, asserting that no premiere was actually cancelled or moved because the production was never officially scheduled to premiere. The theatre’s press office further claimed the title was never part of the contractual budget or the original dramaturgical plan.