Archa Theatre is a two storey underground venue and a centre for diverse contemporary stage art. And if it is specialized, then it’s towards the alternative end, and truly an Ark.

Archa is one of my favourite places to find some interesting and clever pieces of performance art and they are able to communicate this diversity to the public. Tickets are not the cheapest, but – do I look for quality or quantity?

The programme of Archa Theatre is rich – from dance to drama, from live concerts to workshops. To show their broad scope just a few names include: Min Tanaka (who opened it in 1994), Butthole Surfers, The Residents, Václav Havel, Zappa plays Zappa, Amon Tobin, Anoushka Shankar, Tiger Lillies, …

Important to mention is that Archa is not only a theatre, it is a production house too – they have many international projects. Also I should not forget the Archa.lab, a loose alliance of artists collected around the Archa Theatre who stress the importance of practical theatre activities, focusing on exploration, research and experiment.

The Guardian newspaper mentioned Archa as the country’s “alternative National Theatre”, and that fits – Archa is exceptionally well-equipped venue for all kinds of stage art: from drama to dance, for concerts as well as performances. All that including a café that serves hot and cold drinks and snacks. Archa feeds the soul and body at the same time.

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Archa Theatre | Art & culture, Music, Theaters
Na Poříčí 26 | Praha 1 | +420221716333
According the programme

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As the history of this one is very different from that of The National Theatre, the atmosphere of the Estates Theatre is also different. All furnished in white, pale blue and gold, I feel like I am in a cultural paradise of the high-class Prague bourgeoisie from the end of 18th century. All cherubic bottoms are perfectly rounded

Once I was taken behind the scenes, where the singers and orchestra were preparing for Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). Seeing the Queen of Night sipping her drink, Sarastros chatting with Tamino and the First Violin smoking her last cigarette before the show, that was something I will never forget.

And then there was the show – their production of The Magic Flute is truly breathtaking. Maybe what counts here is the enormous success that W. A. Mozart experienced with his opera buffa Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). Afterwards which he wrote Don Giovanni especially for this theatre, and for those he named as “my Praguers who understand me.”

Have a look at their programme and choose your evening tale!

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The Estates Theatre | Art & culture, Music, Theaters | Tickets from CZK 50.00
Ovocný trh | Praha 1 | +420224228503
Box office 10:00 – 18:00 & 45 min. before the beginning of a performance

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Get swallowed by a living mechanical organism, moving in the rhythm of ska-punk-rockabilly-techno-drone-dnb-jungle-hip-hop-chill out.

Buy a drink in one the bars and then sit down. I tell you – that’s the best position to admire a fan made of scrap iron and car-exhaust pipes. Lights above the tables consisting of gearboxes, drain pipes and kinetic sculptures of many kinds. All polished and mounted with care, animated with extreme effort and unlimited imagination.

Cross club is truly one of the most original Prague clubs. Gives enough space for whatever I feel like doing. Two stages, a theater and two to three bars are open for all kinds of concerts, poetry readings, exhibitions, and I shall not forget to mention the Ghettolledge – a street university.

You can be sure that by your next visit there something will have changed – because the world behind the looking glass is never the same, including the numerous corridors that made you feel like you were lost in the rabbit hole the very first time you entered.

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Cross club | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Theaters | Ticket from CZK 100
Plynární 23 | Praha 7
From 16:00 (until the barman is in sleep) daily

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Have a drink or two and maybe meet some friends. That’s one of the reasons why I pop into the NoD bar from time to time. The other important reasons are the concerts, exhibition openings, and performances.

When you arrive, get a drink first. The huge bar cannot be overlooked. Do not worry where to sit, there will always be a space, by the bar itself or on the platform next to the bar, or by the alcoves. You can enjoy the view down to bustring Dlouhá street or just enjoy the afternoon quiet atmosphere or the evening buzz and fuss.

Experimental space NoD is connected with Roxy (check the Roxy article), a famous Prague club, and one of the oldest. Roxy downstairs, NoD upstairs. A perfect combination for those who feel frisky day`n`night. NoD defines three subdivisions: Theatre NoD, Gallery NoD, and multimedia NoLab. They are connected to any good quality projects, efforts to uncover strange juxtapositions and dialogs.

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NoD | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Snacks, Theaters | Show from CZK 100
Dlouhá 33 | Praha 1
14:00 – 22:00 daily

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Once upon a time, there was a theatre in Prague. A theatre, that played contemporary German and Austrian drama. Comedy here was not without bitterness. In tragedy there was always a moment of humor. There was a lot of irony and sarcasm too. There were also a good number of awards and gems of production that were notable in the theatre world. There was also a theatre bar Komedie. One of the best in Prague.

If you come in now, up to the end of the summer season, you still can be part of this fairy tale of intelligent theatre right in the centre of Prague. From autumn on there will be some nameless comedy stuff and the years of work of the theatre director Dušan Pařízek, and his family of actors will leave… Nobody knows what will happen then. So hurry up and visit, and have some coffee or a glass of wine. This offer will expire soon.

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Komedie | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Theaters | Espresso CZK 30
Jungmannova 1 | Praha 1
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 01:00, Sun 17:00 – 01:00

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