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| The Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb |
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| The Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb |
The Hrvatsko narodno kazalište u Zagrebu, commonly referred to as HNK Zagreb, is a grand building located in the middle of Marshall Tito Square in the Lower Town of Zagreb. It offers theatre, opera and ballet programmes. Completed in the late 19th century, the theatre and the surrounding buildings are elegant representations of the neo-baroque style of that period.
Thankfully, it does not have the stuffiness of Convent Garden, and a ticket to a ballet is priced at 130 HRK (equivalent to £14).
On 25th April, I went with three colleagues after work to sample a trio of ballet programmes- George Balanchine, Hans van Manen, and Derek Deane. There was minimal stage sets, as one would expect from the price of the ticket, but there was some outstanding ballet, performed by a multinational troupe. Sitting at the front row, the rib cages of the girls looked painfully exposed, and a number of dancers were so thin that they appeared to be anorexic. Sitting next to me was a big burly man who was extremely discriminating with his applause. At the end of some acts he would be mute with disapproval, and then he would burst into life with exclamations of "Bravo" for some other feats of dexterity.
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| The dancers taking the stage at the end of the show to thunderous applause |
