Slovenian Theatres offer their shows online

20 performances per day

On average, the theatres in Slovenia hold 20 performances per day. This may sound only little, but let us not forget that Slovenia has a population of only 2.1 million. About two-thirds of performances are drama and other theatrical performances, less than a third are puppet shows and a small percentage accounts for experimental theatrical performances. Almost two-thirds of Slovenian theatres stage the works of Slovenian authors. The above figures were provided by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS) for 2018.

Data from the SURS show that the performances were viewed by 1.3 million visitors, on average 178 of viewers per performance. There were 36 theatre festivals with 673 various festival events.

At a time when theatres are forced to keep their doors closed, the majority of them provide alternative content on their websites, platforms and on social media. A few theatres have been showing full plays from their archives on YouTube, while several are holding stage readings by theatre actors.

Stay at home

At a time when we should stay at home, Slovenian theatres have begun posting their performances and activities on the internet. The Slovenian National Theatre Drama in Ljubljana has posted videos of its best plays on YouTube and launched a new platform "Drama od doma" (Drama at home).  The Slovenian National Theatre in Maribor has also invited citizens to watch their performances online, with its Dangerous Liaisons (Choderlos de Laclos) available on their YouTube channel tonight soon after its recent premiere. During the quarantine, the Prešeren Theatre in Kranj remains open on its YouTube channel.

The Ljubljana City Theatre has opened its online archive of past performances. The Mladinsko Theatre (Slovenian Youth Theatre) has moved its programme online by launching the Mladinsko Online. New videos of recent theatrical performances and various interviews will be released each week. The Slovenian National Theatre in Nova Gorica has also made available videos of their plays.

Furthermore, actors from all three theatres in the Primorska region – the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Gorica, the Slovenian Civic Theatre in Trieste and the Koper Theatre – read fairy tales that are accessible on their websites and on social media.

Some non-institutional theatres also broadcast their performances online, such as Glej Theatre, which has already offered five shows, and Emanat. The Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana has also arranged for several productions to be available online.