Reading time: 3 minutes 
Summary for: A sexy new cabaret set on Saturn’s rings lands in PragueOne moment you’re sipping your drink, the next a smooth-talking gigolo is leaning in for a lick. That playful unpredictability sets the tone for The Saturn Revue, a smoke-and-mirrors, feast for the eyes performance that bursts across (and high above) Nová Spirála’s 360-degree revolving stage.
This technicolor spectacle of vintage burlesque, sci-fi fair, and zero-gravity stagecraft has a one-year run at the newly renovated venue on Prague’s exhibition grounds. From the first glimpse of a jazz bar orbiting Saturn to the operatic finale, the performances spin out in dazzling flashes of slapstick, space-age glamour, and Art Deco flair.
“This is the flagship of the 2025/2026 season,” says Jan Makalouš, director of Nová Spirála. “We want to show that large-scale variety shows with world-class casts can be created here as well.”
A multilingual, sensory overload on Saturn's rings
The rings of Saturn come to life as Marek Cpin’s award-winning stage design keeps performers and audience in constant orbit, while Zuzana Kubíčková’s bold costumes merge 1920s elegance with retro-futuristic flair to anchor the interstellar world.
These elements support a plot that feels part romance, part mystery, and part interstellar pageantry, where sequined showgirls, cosmic crooners, and one befuddled alien explore love, identity, and belonging.
This is not a show with a single coherent storyline,” explains co-producer Terézia Bělčáková. “The direction here emphasizes the background of the individual scenes, with each performer presenting their own artistic act.”
The Saturn Revue is a true ensemble piece, with each of the players getting their moment to shine, from bartenders working neon countertops in the opening scene to musical soloists cheekily interacting with the audience.
Jupiter, a debonair gentleman played alternately by Jan Cina and Kryštof Krhovják, guides the kaleidoscope of vignettes, aerial acts, and musical numbers—though beware, as the action often spills off the stage (choose your seat wisely or that smooth-talking gigolo might get a little too close for comfort).
From Prague Burlesque to outer space
The Saturn Revue was created specifically for Nová Spirála, which reopened last year after a lengthy renovation. “When I first saw Nová Spirála’s revolving stage, I immediately thought of Saturn and its rings. And so, a story of a love that can change the world was born,” recalls co-producer David N. Jahn, who developed the concept with Bělčáková.
The duo, who co-founded Prague Burlesque nearly 20 years ago, are a well-known force on the city’s performing arts circuit. Bělčáková, whose stage name is Miss Cool Cat, and Jahn, who performs as Sonny Vargas, not only serve as producers but also appear on stage: Jahn sings while Bělčáková is one of the feather-clad showgirls.
Twenty-six international artists dazzle throughout the show. Among the standouts are Russell Bruner, the U.S. clown-comedian crowned at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas; Belgian showgirl Colette Collerette, famed for her high-gloss glamour; and Dutch acrobat Michiel Tange van Leeuwen, heir to a circus dynasty. Then there is Betsy Rose, three-time winner of the UK’s top burlesque title, who transforms the stage into something “like Paris in the 1930s, except in zero gravity.”
The spectacle is powered by the Cotatcha Orchestra, a 16-piece jazz ensemble led by Jiří Kotača, whose Basie and Ellington numbers keep the revue swinging.
The Saturn Revue opened Sept. 4 and runs through fall 2026. With just one weekend of performances each month, tickets are set to become some of Prague’s hardest to score, so grab your seat now if you want to blast off into the universe of burlesque and more.
