Polívkovo divadlo is looking for an alternative space, the current location is awaiting repairs

Brno - The Brno Theater of Bolka Polívka has returned to its premises at Jakubské náměstí after a static inspection of the roof and will start performing again, but in the long term, it remains uncertain. The roof of the hall is set for reconstruction. The theater, in collaboration with the city as the owner of the hall, is actively looking for a space where it will operate in the next theater season. Nothing is certain yet, Polívka told reporters today. The reconstruction is expected to take about two years, but Polívka fears that repairs may take longer.

"We are looking for alternative solutions; it is a matter of negotiations, what offers we receive, what we find, what will be 'suitable' and what will not - it feels a bit like skiing on snowy slopes right now," Polívka described the uncertainty. He would like to find an alternative space that is equivalent to the current hall. In the next season, the theater will celebrate 30 years of operation. "We want to have a celebratory season - and we don't know where," Polívka stated.

"Most likely, we will continue performing in the theater building behind St. James Church until mid-June. After that, we will move to the amphitheater on Brno's Kraví hora. However, we are also considering the option of starting the upcoming Summer Scene two weeks earlier," stated the theater’s project manager Simona Kostrhunová.

What will happen from September onwards is still unknown. Although the theater is preparing the dramaturgy for the next season, it does not yet know where it will perform it. This depends both on the results of further structural and material surveys of the current hall, as well as on the results of the search for an alternative space and negotiations with the city as the landlord.

The timeline for the reconstruction is also not yet definitively set. City hall spokesperson Filip Poňuchálek confirmed that a thorough survey of the building during the theater’s break is the necessary first step. "Then everything will need to be projected before the actual reconstruction can begin. At this moment, we cannot determine precisely when that will happen. As for finding alternative spaces, that will be a matter for the next period," Poňuchálek stated.

The building that houses the Bolka Polívka Theater - and below it, the Scala cinema - was constructed about 100 years ago. It is a reinforced concrete structure. During the preparation for the roof reconstruction, builders discovered cracks whose age and severity were uncertain. The theater and cinema were closed for just under two weeks while structural engineers worked on the premises, installing measuring devices. As of today, the theater is again in operation.

"According to experts, there is no danger, and the theater's spaces are continuously monitored by special devices," Kostrhunová said. The theater is also continuing with the preparation of a new production titled "Kati," which will premiere on March 31.