Ukrainian cabaret, censored theater and more come to Prague this autumn

What can theater do when the world off stage is already full of conflict? This year’s Prague Crossroads Festival puts that question in focus, with performances shaped by political tensions, personal struggles, and the realities of warfare.

Serious subjects, no doubt, but it’s also a lineup that is hard to ignore.

Running from October 2026 to February 2027, the festival marks its 10th anniversary and explores the theme of “soft resistance,” a kind of defiance that does not attack but firmly holds one’s ground. Performances across the city, including at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, spotlight political repression in Georgia, sexual violence in France, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Several productions offer English surtitles, while others include performances or discussions in English.

As festival dramaturge Linda Dušková explains: “Every day, the current events unfolding worldwide remind us that soft resistance is not enough in the face of relentless aggression. Nonetheless, we can cherish it as an unattainable goal, a much-needed illusion.”

Check out highlights from the Prague Crossroads Festival’s unconventional 2026/2027 lineup below.

Censored in Georgia, this provocative production turns political repression into a visceral piece of theater. Created in response to legislation targeting LGBTQ+ “propaganda,” it examines how those in power can distort language, weaponize shame, and control the stories people are allowed to tell.

Drawing on documentary material about historical revolutions and physical theater, the production puts audiences close to the action. An intimate staging places spectators within minimal distance of the performers as they explore the struggle over freedom and expression.

This unflinching production turns the transcript of Gisèle Pelicot’s widely publicized French rape trial into a four-hour-and-15-minute theatrical experience, putting courtroom testimony about sexual violence, justice, and the banality of abuse directly in front of an audience.

Structured as a staged oratorio, the performance stays close to the words spoken during the trial, including Pelicot’s decision to make the proceedings public. “Shame has to change sides” becomes a powerful refrain throughout the production.

Freak-cabaret meets concert in this high-energy performance, where music, poetry, theater, and striking visuals collide. Dakh Daughters, a Ukrainian band known for its theatrical live shows, transforms poetry into song and moves between concert and theater with an energy that is unpredictable and hard to pin down.

Multiple languages, instruments, and musical styles keep the performance shifting, while the group uses the stage to push back against propaganda and respond to the realities of war.

The festival continues in December with Israel & Mohamed, a documentary dance work exploring family, identity, and generational tensions, performed in French and English with Czech and English surtitles at DOX on Dec. 10 and 11.

January brings Shout Twice, followed in February by The Rape of Lucrece: A Casting, which uses Shakespeare’s poem to examine sexual violence and its representation.