Demons

A stage adaptation of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s famous novel about the collapse of social order.

A small town, where the old world of liberal fathers is fading away, sees the raise of young idealists proclaiming revolutionary slogans. Some believe this is an inevitable change. Others crave for power. But there are also those, the most dangerous ones, whose only purpose is overall destruction.

This opus magnum from 1873 illustrates the pitfalls of a period where the desire for change opens door to demons of all sorts. It shows what happens when the old values lose their meaning and the new ones have not yet been established. Where it leads when society has lost its footing and has turned into a laboratory for those abusing fear and frustration. The novel also portrays those who are fully aware that confusion and chaos provide the best path to power.

However, apart from showing the collapse of society struck by tumultuous events, Demons also narrate about love, scheming, passion, and dark secrets. The play offers unique opportunities for actors in the strong characters of the mysterious heroes, and in particular the self-proclaimed saviour Pyotr Verkhovensky and the arrogant dandy Nikolai Stavrogin, who brazenly crosses every line.

While Dostoevsky, being a Russian writer, is often reduced to a symbol of the geopolitical tension, Demons offers a topical dialogue with the present as well as with our past and possible future. Indeed, our responsibility lies in recognising and understanding where the mechanism of evil begins. This is the key to comprehending the demons that have transcended epochs and borders and are still fighting within human souls today. 

• Stage director: Michal Dočekal
• Language: In Czech, surtitles in English

Premiere: December 3, 2026

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