Prague Black Light Theatre
Black Light Theatre has been around Prague since 1959 but only became truly popular in Prague post Velvet Revolution (1989). Now Prague is the recognised centre for this type of theatre. If performed well, it gives people the opportunity to see a creative and artistic performance with stunning imagery and you’ll only give up an hour or so of your time.
What is Black Light Theatre?
The term “Black Light” is because the light used on stage is Ultra-violet or UV-A. It’s beyond human vision hence “black light”. Now if you’ve been to any nightclub lately you’ll have seen all manner of weird colours showing up under the UV lights in the club. Shirts, dress labels, dandruff, shoe laces, underwear etc. This is because these items have “fluorescence” or the ability to absorb and reflect UV-A light. In the 1950s, French film directors played with taking the centuries-old “black box” idea and putting the effect on the big screen but it didn’t work out too well. But for a small theatre seating 200 or less it was perfect.
The Black Light Theatre Effect
The effect is achieved largely due to the fact that the human eye has trouble telling the difference between layers of black material. Hence if the background is entirely black (black velvet is the favourite) and the performers are dressed in black, then you would not see them against the background. Now give the performer fluorescent clothing or a fluorescent prop then you’ll see the shape and colour of the fluorescent part, but not the black part. Now as the performer moves, you are only going to see the prop doing gravity-defying actions before your eyes.
Theatre is theatre. Artistic interpretive performances are either admired or tolerated based on the observer. With Black Light the performer must be absolutely co-ordinated in the dark surroundings or he risks falling or hitting another performer etc. It will give you a chance to sample the many ways of using black light. Don’t forget NOT to sit at the front. Tickets may be bought but seating is first-come-first-served so take a seat in the middle or rear of the theatre for best effect.
Read on to learn how to pick the right one for you. My recommended Prague Black Light theatre productions are below. You can book these using GetYourGuide or below are some more detailed descriptions for what to expect. Most Prague Black Light Theatre performances are held in the evening from 7pm-9pm and last between 60 and 90 minutes.
TOUR TIPS: The options below are well established performances in the city. Variations will include start times, days and durations but they are all central.
HILT Theatre – Various Performances
There may be different performances running but in general they open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Lovely old 15th Century basement venue tucked away in the Old Town and a maximum of 50 places. They specialise both in an energetic form of Blacklight theatre and also shadow theatre. Performances here are often interactive i.e. involving the crowd.
Images of Love – More Details or Book tickets.
Dance Comedy – More Details or Book tickets
SRNEC Theatre – Anthology
This is a 90 minute production and is a kind of Best of Srnec. Jiri Srnec is the recognised inventor of Black light theatre so this show picks out some of the production highlights from the last 50 years. It’s an entertaining combination of puppetry, pantomime and black light.
Anthology – More Details or Book tickets.
WOW Show
This is usually a 1 hour performance and will be at the Theatre Broadway which is located in Na Prikope close to Wenceslas Square. Another venue known for it’s energetic performances although they lean towards myths and legends that you may know. At the time of writing, WOW performances were on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
WOW – More Details or Book tickets
IMAGE Theatre
Image theatre is at Narodni 25. It hosts different performances but the one which has been going the longest is called “Best of Image”.
LATERNA MAGIKA
It’s not a traditional Prague Black Light theatre but I’ve included this one because it uses Black Light as part of it’s multimedia performances. Take a look at what performances they have on during your stay and read more about this venue on the Laterna Magika page.