Prague streets showcase acrobatic talent

A helium balloon carrying an acrobat rose in the air above Prague’s Industrial Palace on Monday, marking the start of the city’s annual street festival Za dveřmi or Behind the Door. Over the next five days, Prague will come alive with various street performances, including tightrope walkers and acrobats from all over the world.

Underclouds company, photo: archive of the festival

I spoke to the festival’s Dominika Antonia Skalová:

“The festival was established seven years ago and it shows the best of Czech and international street theatre, performances and artists. Our aim is to animate streets of Prague during the summer and to show new tendencies in the field of street theatre.

“The entry is free of charge so the festival is open for everyone, and in fact we want to reach people who don’t go to the theatre during the year. So we want to show them what the street theatre is about.”

The festival got underway on Monday with a helium balloon carrying an acrobat above the Industrial Palace in Prague. What else in on the programme this year?

"I would especially recommend international group Serious Clown, consisting of Adam Reid, who used to cooperate with the famous Cirque du Soleil, and Fyodor Makarov, the colleague of Slava Polunin, a Russian performance artist and clown. They are coming to Prague on Wednesday and Thursday with a performance called the Lost Wheels of Time, inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Photo: archive of the festival

"I would also recommend French artists and acrobats Underclouds company, who will be at the festival on Wednesday and the Spanish company La Tal, who received the Prize for Best Street Theatre in Freiburg this year."

In their any special programme dedicated to children?

“Actually the festival is for the whole family so we have a special programme for kids as well. On Tuesday, you can visit too shows for children, Andělky by the Czech and Slovak artists Vanda Hybnerová and Lucia Kašiarová and the Piggy Circus by the Trick Brothers. And you shouldn’t miss the performance Alice by the Long Vehicle Circus on Friday, which is also a performance for children.”

Andělky, photo: archive of the festival

You have already mentioned Wenceslas Square. Where else does the festival take place this year?

“The festival keeps expanding so we needed more venues where to present it. So this year the festival is held not only at the usual places, the Wenceslas and Jungmann Squares in the city centre, but also at Prague’s Exhibition Grounds, as well as near the metro stations Florenc and Anděl.”