Patriots

The play by the British playwright Peter Morgan brought by the Brno National Theatre Drama Company is a bonus that links the Festival curatorial programme with the year-round work of Nitra-based theatres. Enhanced presentation of visiting theatres is one of the ambitions of the new management of The Andrej Bagar Theatre. Patriots opened in world première at the Almeida Theatre in London in July 2022. Other productions followed in the UK and US, brought on Broadway in April 2024. The Mahen Theatre Drama Theatre of the National Theatre Brno presented the Czech première in January 2025. Patriots is a political thriller set in Russia in the turbulent 1990s. Through the lens of a Western European playwright, it reveals the background to Vladimir Putin’s rise to power and the political games that changed the fate of one of the world’s superpowers. The story talks about the Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky: at the end of the controversial government of Boris Yeltsin, he decided to find a new Russian President. As might be expected, the person was to be a candidate able of protecting the interests of Berezovsky and his fellow oligarchs (such as Roman Abramovich). The choice falls on the eminence grise of the KGB – Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. What begins as a plan to dominate the politics, soon spirals out of control, and reveals the inexorable reality of power, intrigue and betrayal. Directed by Jakub Šmíd, the production combines the documentary basis of the text with an audience-appealing adaptation. It offers a peek behind the scenes of Russian politics, along with a universal reflection on how ambition and manipulation can shape history. Impressive acting further highlights the powerful tone of the story. The set design and music complete the atmosphere of pandemonium and uncertainty where the power struggle and personal dramas of the characters unveil. Patriots is a stage event, yet equally an invitation to reflect on the price of power and the fragility of democracy.