PANKRÁC ´45

Martina Kinská

Cast: 5 woman

Summer 1945. The World War II is coming to the end in the Pacific region. Europe is dealing with cleanup their own way and Czechoslovakia is not an exception. Both the Nazi criminals and Czech collaborators are being arrested. People want to see the guilty ones the gallows and emotions are winning over the common sense. People are arrested just because they speak German or those who were accidentally called collaborators by someone.

Famous actresses Adina Mandlová and Lída Baarová end up in the same cell of the Pankrác prison. Baarová was before the war the lover of the Nazi minister Goebbels, Mandlová was believed to have had an affair with K. H. Frank. They both miss the stage and appropriate attention. Their only audience now are the other arrested women: Hana Krupková who cooperated with the paratroopers during the Operation SILVER A, a Jewish woman Julie who survived Auschwitz, and an unknown woman who might not even understand Czech. Five totally different life stories. Or do they in the end have something in common?

Every single word can be used against them. However, silence means agreement with the charge. How can they defend themselves when no one actually summons them to interrogation? Should one of them provide the judge with evidence? In the meantime the revolution starts to eat its own offspring. People in the streets are calling for execution of the guilty ones, no matter what. Someone simply needs to hang.

A powerful drama with the elements of black humour is based on the real life events of particular characters.

This play with a subtitle „A Casting for An Execution“ was staged for the first time in November 2015 at the Švandovo Theatre. It was shortlisted for the best first staged Czech play of 2015.

The play is available in the Czech original and English translation.