Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje

Stage adaptation of Vinko Möderndorfer's novel A Second Past, directed by Luka Marcen, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Photo: Uroš Hočevar

The Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje (Slovensko ljudsko gledališče Celje) was founded by Municipality of Celje in 1950 as a professional theatre company with resident artistic and technical crew, and agile administration. The artistic team consists of app. twenty resident actors, a dramaturg, a speech adviser, and the artistic director. In all, the theatre team includes 70 employees.

Annually, it produces up to 6 new productions, one of them dedicated to young audience, and present over 220 performances at home and on tours in Slovenia and internationally, for about 60,000 spectators. SLG Celje remains firmly committed to meeting and exceeding the audiences’ expectations and creating contemporary theatre of highest quality and artistic excellence.

Since 1992, the theatre organizes a yearly festival Days of Comedy and a biennial public call for a Gracious Comedy Quill Award to an original Slovenian comedy text.

Programme

The repertoire is diverse and challenging. The production is based on Slovenian and international dramatics, classical plays as well as new writing, staged by eminent Slovenian theatre creators. Lately, a new stream of theatre directors has started involving innovative devised-theatre methods treating relevant social, political, environmental, identity-linked topics. The theatre supports a young residential theatre director at time in creation and research, involving a guest creative team, insuring their basic economic, artistic, and other essential conditions to create safely. Apart from the repertoire program, SLG Celje also puts a lot of effort in addressing and including young audiences, develops new methods and forms of young audience development and their active participation. The programs consist of various interwoven activities that align with the desires, needs, and interests of participants.

Scene from the play Assault, a production based on the life and work of Slovenian Partisan poet Karel Destovnik – Kajuh. Directed by Živa Bizovičar, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Author: Jaka Babnik

Scene from the bitter comedy Paradise, directed by Matteo Spiazzi, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Author: Uroš Hočevar

Days of Comedy

The Days of Comedy festival has become a trademark of the city of Celje. It was first organized from February 14 to March 6, 1992. The festival has gradually evolved from a local event into a significant Slovenian theatrical platform yearly gathering top theatre creators from institutional and non-institutional theatres across Slovenia. It is the largest theatre event in the Celje region and the only Slovenian festival reviewing the best comedy genres from the past year.

Plays in the competition program compete for awards such as distinguished performance, distinguished director, distinguished actress, and distinguished actor of the year, named by a professional jury of three members. The audience also evaluates the festival performances, choosing their favourite play. Additionally, each night, the audience selects the comedian of the evening. Since 2003, the audience has also been selecting their distinguished comedy.

Since 1998, the Municipality of Celje and the SLG Celje have been supporting comedy writing by biennial call for original Slovenian comedy. One (financial) award, the Gracious Comedy Quill, is given to the best text, decided by an expert jury.

Venue

The theatre houses two venues, the Main Stage which sits 250, and a 70-seat Small Stage.

type of venue: theatre
main use: performing arts, cultural education, music

BIG STAGE

seating: 250 seats (parterre, balcony)
type of venue: proscenium arch stage
proscenium opening: 8m W x 8m H
performing area: 10m W x 11m D x 12m H, flat wooden stage floor suitable for dance
apron stage: 3m D
wing spaces: 2m W SR, 2m W SL
soft hangings: black house curtain, black legs and borders
lighting: 20-channel lighting desk, 20 x 2.5 kw dimmers
sound: 16-channel mixer, power amplifiers and loudspeakers, 12 wireless microphones
backstage: 2 dressing rooms accommodating 20 persons, technical staff available
availability: available for hire

SMALL STAGE

seating: 70 seats (fixed)
type of venue: black box
performing area: 8m W x 7m D x 4,5m H, flat wooden stage floor suitable for dance
lighting: 20-channel lighting desk, 20 x 2.5 kw dimmers
sound: 16-channel mixer, power amplifiers and loudspeakers, 12 wireless microphones
backstage: 1 dressing room accommodating 6 persons, technical staff available
availability: available for hire

External links

Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje website
Festival Days of Comedy web page
Slovene People's Theatre architecture - the history of the building from the "Theatre Architecture in Central Europe" web database

Gallery

Poster for the play A Second Past, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023.

The team of awarded comedy All for Free! All for Free! with the gracious comedian Vesna Pernarčič in the middle and the gracious director Ajda Valcl beside her, Days of Comedy 2023. Photo: Jaka Babnik

Stage adaptation of Vinko Möderndorfer's novel A Second Past, directed by Luka Marcen, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Photo: Uroš Hočevar

The Noblemen of Teharje 2008

Poster for the play Assault, a production based on the life and work of Slovenian Partisan poet Karel Destovnik – Kajuh, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023.

Scene from the bitter comedy Paradise, directed by Matteo Spiazzi, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Author: Uroš Hočevar

Scene from the play Assault, a production based on the life and work of Slovenian Partisan poet Karel Destovnik – Kajuh. Directed by Živa Bizovičar, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Author: Jaka Babnik

Scene from the existentialist play No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, directed by Mateja Kokol, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023.

Scene from the existentialist play No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, directed by Mateja Kokol, Slovene People’s Theatre (SLG) Celje 2023. Author: Uroš Hočevar