Open the Door: Croatian premiere of a powerful international theatre production

• The premiere will take place on 11 April at 19:30 at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc.

We’re thrilled to announce that Open the Door, the powerful theatre production by Lithuanian director Justinas Vinciūnas is coming to Rijeka for its Croatian premiere on 11 April at 19:30 at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc. The performance was produced by the National Kaunas Drama Theatre (Lithuania) in collaboration with Les Récréâtrales (Burkina Faso) as part of the DECONFINING project.

Performed in Lithuanian with Croatian subtitles, the piece brings together an international creative team and is based on Silmiga, a gripping and universal play by Burkina Faso-born playwright Aristide Tarnagda. In this modern take on the Antigone myth, Tarnagda tells the story of a family forced to make an impossible choice when their village is threatened by terrorists, and their adopted son becomes the target of fear and hatred.

Having premiered in Lithuania to a powerful emotional response and winning two Golden Stage Crosses, the performace now opens its doors to the Croatian audience. At its core, Open the Door explores themes of belonging, fear, betrayal, and the human struggle for redemption. Rather than focusing solely on political tensions, director Justinas Vinciūnas and his team bring to the forefront the intimate, moral dilemmas faced by individuals caught in extreme circumstances.

→ Read more about the original Lithuanian premiere
→ Dive deeper into the director’s vision in our interview with Justinas Vinciūnas