The Drama Ensemble of the National Theatre has a new headquarters and rehearsal space for 70 million CZK

Prague - The National Theatre (ND) has acquired a new home for its drama section, costing nearly seventy million crowns. Previously, it was located in the Kolowrat Palace at Ovocný trh, which it had to vacate several years ago. Today, ND director Jan Burian ceremoniously opened part of the reconstructed Anenský complex in the Old Town, where the ballet of the first Czech scene is already operating. In addition to offices and accommodation facilities, it includes new rehearsal rooms that were lacking for the drama section.

The work took several years, delayed by discoveries of wall paintings and Gothic plasterwork - the complex is one of the oldest buildings in Prague, and settlement on its site has a thousand-year history. The Anenský complex, which is adjacent to the former St. Anne’s Church, now the Prague Crossroads, has belonged to the theatre since the mid-1970s. Four years ago, the facilities for the ND Ballet were opened there.

Burian told ČTK that besides the administrative facilities, he is most pleased with the large rehearsal room in the attic, as ND lacks such essential spaces, unlike many regional or municipal stages.

“The construction cost us around 60 million crowns and the interior approximately eight million crowns, plus there were funds for the project designer and technical supervision, around two to three million crowns,” said Václav Pelouch, the operational director of ND to ČTK. The Anenský complex, somewhat hidden from the view of random passersby despite its size, has been reconstructed by ND to about one-third so far.

The history of the complex dates back to the Middle Ages, with some of the earliest mentions referring to the original rotunda of St. Lawrence founded by St. Wenceslas in 927. During the Hussite turmoil, nuns from several religious orders also sought refuge here. The church itself was desecrated during the Josephine reforms in 1782, and in the 18th century, it served as a residential complex; in the 19th century, a printing house was located there. For a time, the entire Anenský courtyard, including the church, was leased long-term by the Oskar Stein company, a paper wholesaler, for which Jaroslav Foglar worked as an accountant; the monastery space is said to have influenced his Stínadla. After 1948, the Svoboda printing company operated in the complex until 1976. The building was then acquired as a technical facility for ND during the general reconstruction and expansion of the first Czech stage from 1977 to 1983.

Initially, the ND archive found its home in the building, and there were considerations for establishing a theatre museum. After 1989, the western wing began being used for the ballet company, while the eastern wing, leading to Liliová Street, housed the management of Laterna magika from 1983. This now again belongs to ND and is located within its premises. Since the end of 2016, this wing has been undergoing renovations for the drama section. New spaces for an extensive music archive have also been created.

“We still have the reconstruction of the part of the complex that serves as accommodation for our guests ahead of us. We are partly renting the building because it cannot be utilized by us at this time,” Burian said. The building was divided into apartments and offices in the 20th century and requires significant intervention both in terms of heritage protection and functionality. “At this moment, however, more important investments are ahead of us - the reconstruction of the New Stage and the construction of a new service center for ND, where we want to establish functional workshops and storage areas,” Burian stated.