National Theatre in Belgrade
Serbia's national stage on Republic Square, home to its drama, opera and ballet companies.
The National Theatre was established by decree in 1868 and its building, designed by Aleksandar Bugarski in a Renaissance Revival manner loosely modelled on La Scala in Milan, opened the following year at the eastern end of Republic Square. It is the principal repertory house in Serbia and the only one to maintain three permanent ensembles under one roof: drama, opera and ballet. The Serbian opera company was formed here in 1920 and the ballet company in 1923, and both continue to perform through the season.
The exterior was substantially remodelled in 1922 and again during a reconstruction completed in 1989, which gave the building its present academic appearance and enlarged the backstage areas. The theatre has two auditoriums: the Main Stage, seating around 600, and the smaller studio stage named after the actor and director Raša Plaović. A museum of the theatre's history occupies rooms within the building, and the season runs from autumn to summer with performances most evenings.
Highlights
- Three resident companies: drama, opera and ballet
- Main Stage and the smaller Raša Plaović studio stage
- Renaissance Revival building of 1869 by Aleksandar Bugarski
- In-house museum documenting the theatre's history
