One hundred years since the founding of the Liberated Theatre: a Czech scene ahead of its time
One hundred years ago, on February 8, 1926, the Liberated Theatre (Osvobozené divadlo) was founded in Prague – an avant-garde scene that profoundly influenced Czech culture and laid the foundations of modern political satire. It was here that the famous trio Jiří Voskovec, Jan Werich, and composer Jaroslav Ježek emerged, whose work remains one of the most significant chapters in Czech theatre.
The Liberated Theatre was created as part of the artistic movement Devětsil, inspired by the European avant-garde – Futurism, Dadaism, and Poetism. Its aim was to create a new, modern form of theatre combining humor, music, movement, and social criticism.
The first official performance took place on February 8, 1926, at the Na Slupi theatre in Prague. Initially an experimental stage, it soon became a center of cultural life in interwar Czechoslovakia.
The rise of Voskovec & Werich
A turning point came in 1927, when two young students, Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich, appeared on the scene. Their first play, Vest Pocket Revue, blended grotesque elements, improvisation, and intelligent humor. Composer Jaroslav Ježek soon joined them, creating original, jazz-inspired music for the theatre.
Satire against Nazism
In the 1930s, the Liberated Theatre became one of the first European stages to openly criticize Nazism. Plays such as Caesar (1932) and The Donkey and the Shadow (1933) warned against totalitarian regimes and attracted international attention.
This also brought problems. The German embassy repeatedly protested, and in 1938 the Czech authorities revoked the theatre’s license. The Liberated Theatre was thus banned.
Exile and legacy
After the theatre’s closure in 1938, Voskovec and Werich emigrated to the United States. They attempted a return after the war, but the political situation no longer favored their work. Ježek died in American exile in 1942; Voskovec returned to the U.S. permanently after 1948, while Werich remained in Czechoslovakia.
Their songs (Tmavomodrý svět, Život je jen náhoda) became classics.
Their humor inspired later Czech small-form theatres.
Their political satire is still considered exceptionally bold.
