Karel Heřmánek ml. performs Prague Shakespeare Company’s The Merchant of Venice at the Estates Theatre
Karel Heřmánek ml.
You are a very busy man – In addition to recent personal events in your life, you are running Divadlo Bez Zabradli and performing there as well as with Prague Shakespeare Company, where you are an Associate Artist. Over the years you have performed many times with PSC in Prague, and on tour in Germany and the US, what is it about PSC that excites you and keeps you coming back to performing Shakespeare in English?
What excites me most is the community of friends I’ve been lucky to be part of for many years. I’ve had the privilege of working with inspiring artists like Guy Roberts, Jessica Roberts, Irwin Appel and many others who motivate me both artistically and personally. Being with them feels like a vacation. PSC brings together artists from around the globe. Seeing their shows is always a very unique experience, especially when performed at the historical Estates Theatre. It is an event that cannot be missed!
Your real life daughter brother, Frantisek, is making his professional theatre debut in the play alongside you onstage. What extra dimension and added layers of meaning with this special casting create?
Frantisek has just graduated from King’s College in London, and theatre is likely the next chapter for him. It is fun to observe him as he takes his first steps in a professional theatre production while being stressed and excited at the same time. Also exploring the dynamic between Bassanio and Lorenzo as brothers adds a wonderful layer to our portrayal. I’m particularly excited to see my younger brother Frantisek enter the stage in a professional production for his first time. And the fact that it will be at the Estates Theatre adds to the thrill.
Given the current challenging situation in Israel, do you think the Merchant of Venice should even be performed now?
Absolutely! Theatre should reflect the challenges humanity faces. The current events in Israel offer a new perspective on the play, and it’s essential for the audience to be engaged with these topics through an artistic approach.
The Merchant of Venice has been sometimes labeled as anti-semetic. Anti-semetism is expressed by the Christian characters in the play. Does this make it an anti-semetic play?
On the contrary, I believe the Christian characters’ treatment of Shylock reveals more about their own prejudices than about him. Their disdain stems from his status as a stranger, highlighting flaws in their elitist worldview.
You recently performed a multi-lingual Hamlet with PSC in Germany and in Prague at the Estates Theater and Prague Castle, what is the difference in acting Shakespeare in English versus Czech?
Shakespeare’s work is deeply rooted in the English language, with iambic verse that enhances the magic of the characters. Czech language – unlike English – always stresses the first syllable and therefore makes it more difficult to work with the text the same way. Our interpretations are mostly focused on the subtext. However, adapting Shakespeare into modern translations allows for creativity, which we explored in our multilingual “Hamlet.”
Looking ahead you will also appear with PSC in 2025 in a very special collaboration of a new production of Twelfth Night with artists from PSC and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. This performance will be unique in that the show will perform at Divadlo Bez Zabradli. What are you most looking forward to with that upcoming production?
I’m always excited to work with artists from different backgrounds. Shakespeare’s stories unite people, regardless of their origins, and I look forward to introducing our audience in Prague to the work of the artists from Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
Karel Heřmánek ml.
What exciting things can you tell us about the future of Divadlo Bez Zabradli?
I’ve begun directing The Plaza Suite by Neil Simon, marking my directorial debut. It makes me excited and very nervous in the same time. We’re also looking to expand collaboration between PSC and DBZ. I hope that one day DBZ can become a established as an international theatre company just like PSC.
Prague Shakespeare Company in association with Národní divadlo presents
The Merchant of Venice
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Guy Roberts
Performed in English
Czech titles and translation by Martin Hilský
Estates Theatre, 2 November, 2024
For more information visit www.pragueshakespeare.cz
Email PSC: info@pragueshakespeare.cz
Tickets available through the Národní divadlo website at:
For more information about Divadlo Bez Zabradli visit: