Laterna magika is a multimedia ensemble of the National Theatre in Prague, created for the 1958 Brussels World Expo by director Alfréd Radok and set designer Josef Svoboda. Widely regarded as the world's first multimedia theatre, it fuses live dance and acting with film projection, music and lighting into a single seamless performance. The Czechoslovak pavilion won the top Expo 58 prize - the Gold Star - largely thanks to Laterna magika, and the company has been a permanent part of the National Theatre since 1959.
Laterna magika presented the Czech premiere of Baron Prášil on April 9 and 10, 2026 at the Estates Theatre - a multimedia project by directors Mirenka Cechova and Petr Bohac that combines film projections, large-scale puppets and live music.
In November 2025, the world premiere of the non-verbal performance V parku took place, directed by Radim Vizvary, the artistic director of the ensemble - an intimate story of two elderly people combining theatre with film poetics.
In June 2025, Laterna magika left its home theatre Novou scénu due to reconstruction and moved to other Prague stages - the Estates Theatre and La Fabrika.
Laterna magika announced its participation in the Prague Signal Festival in October 2026, where the ensemble will present itself for the fourth time with an art installation created specifically for the festival space.
For the 2026/27 season, Laterna magika confirmed a new premiere at the Estates Theatre (April 8 and 9, 2027) and the transition of six productions from the current repertoire to the next season.
