Faust

The production of Faust, directed by Jakub Čermák, presents an innovative interpretation of Goethe’s iconic work. Čermák chose to stage both parts, with special attention given to the less commonly performed second part, placing Faust’s life in a contemporary context. This version skips the traditional Prologue in Heaven, focusing instead on the final phase of Faust’s life, set in the pre-modern era. It highlights the evolving relationship between Faust and Mephistopheles, showcasing their transformation. A distinctive feature is the dual portrayal of key characters – such as both the old and the young Faust – allowing for an exploration of their character and their internal changes. Mephistopheles is portrayed by two female versions, enriching the dynamics with Faust. The directorial approach focuses on textual minimalism and movement, creating a visually and emotionally engaging experience that invites deeper audience interpretation.

About the company

The Horácké Theatre Jihlava is the only professional drama theatre in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It is recognised for its high-quality, multi-genre productions and educational programmes. Last year, it established the children’s and youth company HD_Jéé, and together with the main ensemble, it stages over 300 performances annually, including an average of 10 new premieres on both the Large and Small Stage, as well as in the Theatre Club.

Jakub Čermák is a theatre and opera director, occasional actor and performer, playwright, frontman of the art gang Depressed Children Crave Money, and a founder of the Prague cultural venue Venuše ve Švehlovce.
His work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the Divadelní noviny Award for his immersive project Happy End at Chateau Switzerland Hotel (2022), and the Czech Theatre DNA Award for outstanding contribution to alternative theatre (2020). His play Everyone Deserves Purgatory received third place at the international competition Dráma in Bratislava (2022), and the festival příští vlna/next wave named him Personality of the Year in 2020. He has been repeatedly nominated for the Divadelní noviny Award (2018, 2019, 2021), and his online production Memento (MOR) won the Theatre Critics Award in the “theatre in quarantine” category in 2021. His production Mary Stuart. Anatomy (of drama) took second place at the OFFenzíva festival in Ostrava (2019).
He studied at FAMU and DAMU in Prague and was a member of Via Negativa Lab in Ljubljana, Slovenia. His directing portfolio includes both modern reinterpretations of classical dramas and immersive theatre projects. Additionally, he has written several theatre texts and has worked extensively in performance and documentary theatre.