ABSTRACT

During the 19th century, the theatre in Croatia played a crucial role in opposing the colonial influence of the Hungarians and the Austrians, by giving form to the Croatian literary language in its three dialects. This identity is still guarded jealously today by four national theatres which incorporate opera, ballet and drama. In addition, in Zagreb alone, there are some twenty active theatres financed fully by the City Council and another forty or so theatre companies partly financed by the City. In 1997 an international production, Bacchanalia, written by the Macedonian playwright, Goran Stefanovski, and skilfully directed by Branko Brezovec from Croatia, was one of the guests at the famous festival of new theatre, Eurokaz. The play examines male misconceptions over the last half-century from the standpoint of the women who have had to look on and bear it all.