The North Bohemian Opera and Ballet Theater, exceptional for its architecture, stands on Lidice Square in the center of Ústí nad Labem. The auditorium of the neo-Baroque building with Art Nouveau elements can accommodate 800 spectators and the interiors are decorated with gilded stucco and natural elements. There are 3 Art Nouveau foyers in the theatre and the modern annex houses technical facilities.
Photo: Czech Film Commission
The theater comprises two buildings
The historical four-story building in neo-Baroque style with Art Nouveau elements built in 1909 forms one side of Lidice Square. The smaller annex, begun in 1987 and partially completed in 1996, is connected to the historical building by a glass corridor above street level.
A deep stage and auditorium for 800 viewers
The theater’s stage, auditorium, and three Art Nouveau foyers are particularly suitable for filming. The deep stage has a floor area of 165 m2 and consists of three parts: a relatively large forestage, the stage itself, and the backstage.
The horseshoe-shaped auditorium can seat 800 people and, although spacious, creates a rather intimate impression. The ground floor area of 195 m2 is smaller than the 250 m2 first floor balcony. On each side of the stage there are five boxes on the ground floor and on each of the first and second floors.
Natural ornaments in gold and red
The interior is dominated by gilded stucco, natural ornaments and elegant Art Nouveau chandeliers and lamps. Seats upholstered in red velvet match the predominant gold and red on the decorative stucco and wallpaper of the boxes.
The ceiling is decorated with a mural by Viennese painter Eduard Veit. The curtain, with its commedia dell’arte theme, was painted by Petr Mens.
Three Art Nouveau foyers
The foyers on the ground floor and the first floor each measure 307 m2. On the second floor there is a smaller, 95 m2, foyer. From the main octagonal hall on the ground floor, two red-carpeted diagonal staircases lead to the balcony, and from the balcony, two quarter-turn staircases connect to the boxes on the second floor.
From the spacious foyer on the first floor with a bar, a glass door leads to the balcony, which is supported by massive pillars standing on either side of the theater’s main entrance. The balcony with two bronze candelabras offers a surprising view of the social realist architecture that dominates Lidice Square, a sharp contrast to the architecture of the theater.
In the decoration of the foyer, you will find images of frogs intertwined with Art Nouveau floral ornaments. The architect, Alexandr Graf, had them incorporated here as a reminder of the theater’s original address: Masaryk Avenue, which borders Lidice Square where the theatre stands today, used to be called Na Rybnicku (By the Fishpond), because there was a buried pond there.
Technical facilities in the annex
A glass corridor on the first floor leads from the historical building to the theater’s smaller annex. It houses primarily technical facilities, storage rooms, and rehearsal rooms.
Electricity and parking capacity
Both buildings have 230/16 and 380/32.63 electrical connections, although limited in the historic building.
The theater has parking capacity for 40 cars. And for the film crew there are many accommodation and catering options in Usti nad Labem.
Neo-Renaissance Imperial Hall
If filmmakers would like to take advantage of some other interesting locations in the area, just across the street is the neo-Renaissance building of the Museum of the City of Usti nad Labem with its Imperial Hall decorated with allegorical paintings gilded with gold leaf, where Emperor Franz Joseph I granted an audience in 1901.
Friendly theater management
The North Bohemian Theater of Opera and Ballet in Usti nad Labem is still waiting to be discovered by filmmakers. The management of the theater is very open to filming in its premises and is ready to meet film producers and offer favorable conditions for them to work there.
Contact for filming in the Usti Region:
Usti Region Film Office, Barbora Hyskova (hyskova.b@kr-ustecky.cz, +420 778 494 321)