News

As of this weekend, successful NTB shows will be broadcast online!

22 April 2020

Expected and requested by the majority of theatre lovers, the online broadcast of some theatre performances from the NTB repertoire begins on Friday, April 24th, 2020. For three days, every weekend from now on, not only the spectators from Bucharest, but also those from all over the country, as well as those from abroad will be able to watch a reference show from the NTB repertoire.
The list of titles proposed for online distribution includes both shows that have held the billboard with great success in previous seasons, currently being removed from the repertoire, as well as some plays that will continue to be performed upon the reopening of theatres, thus an opportunity to arouse your interest and warmly invite you to return to the theatre when the gates will reopen!
Several show titles will be broadcast every weekend, starting from April 24th, 2020. From Friday to Sunday, for 3 days in a row, the same show will be broadcast, with a single performance per day: Friday from 4.00 p.m., Saturday from 6.00 p.m. and Sunday from 6.00 p.m. The broadcasting of the shows will be ensured online on the youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/c/TeatrulNaţionalILCaragialeBucureşti in livestreaming. The link can also be accessed from
https://www.facebook.com/TNB.Ro/. The shows can only be watched live, on the dates and times announced.
In parallel, the online broadcast of the NTB Conferences will continue, daily between 2 pm and 4 pm, also on the TNB Youtube channel. Until the end of this month you can see the following conferences:
April 23rd - Vladimir Belis: Half a century in the service of forensic medicine
April 24 - Emil Brumaru: the feminine inferno and Brumaru`s angels
April 25 - Silvia Colfescu: Bucharest stories - a city with the calling of
survival
April 26 - Silvia Colfescu sharing stories with Anamaria Smigelschi.
Other exciting titles will be broadcast in the next period, and the schedule will extend throughout the state of emergency.
Online shows will include titles such as: The Tempest after William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Morfov, Lottery Tickets, an adaptation after I.L. Caragiale and directed by Alexandru Dabija, Allegro, ma non troppo ... by Ion Minulescu, directed by Razvan Popa, God Dresses from the Thrift by Iulian Margu, directed by Ion Caramitru, Scourge by IL Caragiale, directed by Radu Afrim, Take, Ianke and Cadir by Victor Ion Popa, directed by Grigore Gonta and performances within the 9G Programme.

The first one of these, which will air this weekend (April 24th, 25th and 26th), is The Tempest, after William Shakespeare, in the vision of Bulgarian director Alexander Morfov. In the role of Prospero, you will see, in a memorable creation, Ion Caramitru (designated by the British Embassy and the British Council in Bucharest as the Shakespeare Ambassador of 2016 - Shakespeare Year). The cast includes Mihai Calin, rewarded with a UNITER award for the impersonation of Caliban, Istvan Teglas (Ariel), Alexandra Salceanu (Miranda), Ciprian Nicula (Ferdinand).
Comedy of illusions, fairy tales, a text about power and revenge, The Tempest is, beyond any interpretation, a play about the demiurgic power of art and imagination. Prospero`s science transcends human laws, controls nature, rules over spirits, and stirs love.
The Tempest premiered on April 27th, 2014. Initially imagined in the Elizabethan space of the Studio Hall, the show was moved, upon the public`s request, to the theatre’s Grand Hall, where it can be watched by over 900 spectators.
This time, we are meeting you in an even larger space, the virtual one, on the NTB youtube channel, where you will be able to watch the show The Tempest on Friday, April 24th, 2020, from 4:00 pm, Saturday, April 25th, 2020, from at 6 pm and Sunday, April 26th, 2020, from 6 pm.
We invite you to stay close, keep an eye on the NTB website, social media pages, as well as the NTB Youtube channel to find out the latest broadcast schedule news and to watch all these shows and conferences ready to keep in touch with you until the theatre doors will be able to reopen.

Keep having peaceful days, stay home and stay healthy!

YEN by Anna Jordan, 9G premiere at NTB 19 April 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest announces a new premiere as part of the 9G Program at NTB, dedicated to young independent artists: “Yen” by Anna Jordan, directed by Ciprian Chiricheș, with set design by Maria Constantin, and starring Teodora Antal, Diana Pomparău, Sevi Stan, and Mario Monțescu. The premiere will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., in the Sala Mică Hall The play Yen tells the story—at times brutal, at times deeply tender—of two brothers surviving almost entirely on their own in a suburb, with a mother unable to provide them with the care a child needs. Together, amid arguments and violence, the two teenagers try to discover what affection—and first love—feels like and how to express it, in the absence of a parental role model. Thus, first love becomes a tough test, full of innocence and missteps. How much of our social skills are innate, and how much are acquired through our environment and the education we receive? It is a long-debated dilemma that remains relevant today, which author Anna Jordan explores with harshness and directness, yet with care and sensitivity toward her characters. Yen is about growing up, about family, and, above all, about the fundamental human need to love and be loved. „What won me over from the very first reading was the sincerity with which life—and, in particular, hope—is portrayed. In real life, things aren’t like in fairy tales, where Prince Charming appears out of nowhere and sets everything right. In reality, we often long for something we cannot have, and then that feeling becomes even stronger; this sentiment is very well conveyed by the author. The production that we put together with the team is based on desire and hope. I hope it’s contagious and that the audience leaves, just as I like to leave the theater—changed, pensive, with my thoughts on my loved ones.” Ciprian Chiricheș, the director of the production Anna Jordan is a renowned British playwright, director, and screenwriter. She graduated from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) with a degree in acting and is a professor of acting. For her play “Yen,” she won the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting (2013) Cast: Sevastian Stan, Mario Monțescu, Teodora Antal, Diana Pomparău. Regie Ciprian Chiricheș, set design Maria Constantin, sound design Teodor Zamfir and llighting design Cristian Ciopată. This performance is not recommended for children under 14. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Magda Catone is the Mother-in-law in Little Hell 04 April 2026

Starting on April 4, 2026, renowned National Theater actress Magda Catone will play the role of the Mother-in-Law in Mircea Stefanescu's comedy Little Hell, taking over from Rodica Popescu-Bitanescu, the actress who has brought this delightful role in Romanian drama to life in recent seasons, continuing the series of anthological performances, from Natasa Alexandra, Silvia Dumitrescu-Timica to Ileana Stana Ionescu. At the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theater, the play Little Hell has had over 300 performances since its premiere in 2013! The next performances will take place on April 4, 8, and May 2, 2026! Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

A new premiere at the National Theater of Bucharest: “The Bride's Time and Her Gown” – a continuation of the world of Oltenia created by Gavril Pătru 02 April 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest will present, starting April 3, 2026, the premiere of “The Bride's Time and Her Gown″ (The Wedding) by Gavril Pătru, a new chapter in the theatrical universeinaugurated by the success of “Ghosts and Dandelions.” The second part of the upcoming “Oltenia trilogy,” the play continues the story of the characters from a contemporary Oltenian village, in a recognizable blend of humor, drama, and authenticity. Created by Gavril Pătru—who serves as writer, director, and actor—the new play offers a glimpse into a world where tradition and inner conflict coexist, and laughter and tension intertwine naturally. This time, the action revolves around a wedding—a seemingly festive setting that becomes the backdrop for an avalanche of tragicomic events. Amidst the musicians, stuffed cabbage rolls, and zaibăr, uncomfortable truths surface, appearances crumble, and hidden dramas are revealed. Nothing is what it seems, and the masks fall one by one, in a universe where even those who do not speak end up saying it all. Dynamic “like the rush of a sârba” and, at the same time, profound “like a doina,” the new play by Gavril Pătru offers an intense theatrical experience, where laughter and emotion converge in a story about family, identity, and truth. “The Bride’s Watch and Shirt” preserves the distinctive language and atmosphere of the Oltenia region that established Gavril Pătru’s reputation, shaping a vivid world, full of color and expressive power. The play can be viewed independently, yet it stands in direct dialogue with “Ghosts and Dandelions” developing the same destinies and delving deeper into the themes already explored. The cast features actors from the National Theater of Bucharest, in a lineup that supports the show’s brisk pace and energy: Costina Cheyrouze, Raluca Petra, Ileana Olteanu, Petre Ancuța / Ciprian Nicula, Gavril Pătru, Alexandra Sălceanu / Teodora Calagiu, Maia Morgenstern / Victoria Dicu, Silviu Biriș. On April 2 and 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., in the lobby of the Pictura Hall, immediately following the preview performances of the play, there will be a book launch for “Ceasu’ și cămașa miresii” (The Bride's Time and Her Gown) by Gavril Pătru, a special event that complements the theatrical universe of the play of the same name. The book brings to life the same recognizable world created by Gavril Pătru: a vibrant Oltenian village, full of humor, tension, and poetry, where the characters’ destinies intertwine between tradition and contemporary reality. The audience will have the opportunity to meet the author, discover the behind-the-scenes of the creative process, and get autographs. The official premiere of the production will take place on April 18 and 19, 2026, at the Pictura Hall; the production is already scheduled in the NTB’s current repertoire for April 8 and 9 and May 9, 2026. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Premiere at NTB: A play about the hypocrisy of today's world 13 March 2026

Starting March 13, 2026, you are invited to a new production, Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses by Claudiu Goga after Arthur Schnitzler, at the Studio Hall of the I.L. Caragiale National Theater in Bucharest. A hot topic, even though the author, considered one of the most important representatives of Austrian modernism, imagined it in 1912, a time when many of the issues addressed in the play were more than sensitive, if not taboo. At Dr. Bernhardi's clinic, a teenager is fighting sepsis following a botched abortion. The priest is denied access to the dying girl's room for her last rites. The inevitable death occurs. The incident quickly becomes a topic of national debate: can a Jewish doctor forbid a Catholic priest from comforting a Christian on her deathbed? Based on Arthur Schnitzler's idea, director Claudiu Goga invites you to discover the astonishing story in which Dr. Bernhardi is drawn. A roller coaster of absurd situations, tensions, and contradictions in a world of political intrigue and careerism, where truth becomes a derisory fact amid obscure games of power and personal interests. Both a political play and a love story, written in the style of a detective novel, "Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses" speaks with lucidity and humor about the hypocrisy of today's world. A world in which people claim to fight in the name of principles and values, in the name of political ideologies and religious beliefs, in the name of truth and in the name of humanity. In reality, these are all pretexts. People fight only for their personal interests. Why? The answer is simple: people are people. In the role of Dr. Elias Bernhardi: Mihai Calin, joined by actors George Ivascu, Mirela Oprisor, Medeea Marinescu, Ofelia Popii, Alexandru Potocean, Ioan Andrei Ionescu, Richard Bovnoczki, Dana Dogaru, Ada Gales, Ionut Toader, and Tomi Cristin. Director Claudiu Goga had allies in bringing his vision to life: Corina Gramosteanu for set design and Nina Brumuasila for costumes. Video design was by Andrei Cozlac and Silviu Apostol. Music and stage movement were by Florin Fieroiu. The following performances will take place on: March 14, March 15, March 18, March 19 (official premiere), April 1, at 7 p.m. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

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