On 8-14 November 20222, Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, hosted the second edition of the international get-together of theatre authors called Les Théâtrales de Novembre with many Czech representatives. This year’s Czech delegation consisted of Barbora Etlíková, Lucie Němečková and David Jařab. The delegates’ participation was supported by the Arts and Theatre Institute’s Go and See program.

The program of the festival featured lectures, discussions with authors, discussion panels with topics like the Czech Republic and African production and diasporas, creative residencies, publishing of theatre plays, theatre workshops, stage readings, and theatre performances, along with the ETC Caraïbe ceremony for the best play in Creole.

The Czech delegation was the honored guest and provided great space for various presentations.

The discussion with Barbora Etlíková was hosted by outstanding Martinique-based playwright, ETC Caraïbe president Bernard Lagier. Etlíková had a lecture on Czech theatre criticism and presented her theatre blog Podhoubí. The highlight of her participation was the stage reading of her novel in dialogues The House for Erzulie Freda, published by the Acoria publishing house in Paris as the first book in the Creative Africa series.

Bernard Lagier and Lucie Němečková hosted the discussion with David Jařab, who also gave a lecture on Czech surrealism. The visitors to the festival had a chance to see the stage reading of Jařab’s White Dogs and Black Cats, translated into French. Lucie Němečková gave a presentation on the Czech Republic and its relationships with Africa. She also interpreted some parts of the festival and was the guest of the discussion panels on residencies, the publishing of plays, and the work of Caya Makhélé.

More information (in French): festival website