Slovene People's Theatre Celje
Celje's repertory drama company, playing in a nineteenth-century house built onto a Renaissance tower.
Theatre in Celje goes back to a society formed in 1822, which acquired a building beside one of the towers of the town wall and later the tower itself; that round tower, put up between about 1530 and 1550, is still built into the theatre. The house was thoroughly rebuilt and enlarged between 1883 and 1885 to plans by the architect Vladimir Walter, and it served the town's German-speaking company until the First World War. Slovene amateur companies also performed here in the decades before 1918.
The present professional company, the Slovene People's Theatre Celje, was established in 1950 and is one of Slovenia's main repertory drama houses. It plays on a main stage and a smaller studio stage, mounting classic and contemporary drama, new Slovene writing and work for young audiences, and it takes productions on tour to other Slovene towns. The theatre has hosted the national drama festival and regularly collaborates with other Slovene and regional companies on co-productions.
Highlights
- Renaissance town-wall tower built into the theatre fabric
- Auditorium of 1883-1885 by the architect Vladimir Walter
- Repertory programme on a main stage and a studio stage
- Productions for children and young audiences
