“Look, Anča, I’ve got a knife,” is the best known line from the popular comedy that has never been written by the Slovak author, the Protestant minister Jozef Hollý. The line raised to fame as presented by the Academy Laureate, Slovak actor Jozef Kroner who first delivered it within the production staged by the theatre in the city of Martin by the author ’s son. Yet it wasn’t until its televised adaptation directed by Martin Ťapák that the piece entered public mind. The lead protagonist, Jozef Kroner, turned the village simpleton Kubo into the archetype of comic character that is a laughing stock to both his fellows characters and the audiences. That adaptation of Hollý’s master neglected the other side of Slovak rural world – the egotism, cynicism, cruelty of characters, the fact that Kubo is actually a business item, human being who the others want to use for their own profit. This is indeed the take by the stage director Ľubomír Vajdička in the production at Martin. In the jubilee season, the SND Drama Company reaches for this Slovak classic which, surprisingly, has never before featured on Slovakia’s prime stage. The stage director Lukáš Brutovský staged in the SND the successful production Midnight Mass five years ago. He reaches again for local piece to offer a new take on Hollý and Kubo’s – or indeed our very own story. It may also be quite telling about the risks we may be facing when simpletons and limited individuals end up in posts they aren’t quite up to.

A number of spectators make the première night extra special – ladies especially like to make most of the event and shine in their finest gown or little black dress.

"We kindly ask our esteemed spectators to respect dress code: business casual."