Prague Shakespeare Tackles AI, Fake News & Modern Love in a Theatrical Event for the Ages at the Estates Theatre – This Weekend Only!

Forget everything you think you know about Shakespeare. This is not boring museum piece theatre – this is a live-wire, high-stakes commentary on your world, right now. In an unmissable theatrical event that could be ripped from today’s headlines, the Prague Shakespeare Company is staging a revolutionary theatre experience at the majestic Estates Theatre for three final performances this weekend: 27, 28, and 29 June. This is your unique and fleeting opportunity to witness two of the Bard’s masterworks reborn for the 21st Century, speaking directly to the anxieties and passions of our time.

Friday night, 27 June, we are thrust into the messy, exhilarating landscape of the human heart with a special 75-minute version of Two Gentlemen of Verona. This is not just a romantic comedy; it’s a vibrant, funny, and deeply relatable exploration of love, friendship, and identity for today’s youth. In a world of fleeting connections and intense emotions, the story of best friends Valentine and Proteus falling for the same woman, Silvia, feels utterly contemporary. It’s a story about loyalty, betrayal, and the chaotic, beautiful journey of figuring out who you are and what you stand for.

This dazzling production is guided by the masterful hand of internationally renowned director Lisa Wolpe, a true icon of classical theatre. She directs a stunningly fresh modern verse translation by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Amelia Roper, a Yale School of Drama graduate and award-winning playwright whose impressive screenwriting credits include work for Netflix, Apple TV, and Hulu. Roper’s language pops with the wit and rhythm of modern speech, transforming the play into an experience that feels less like a historical text and more like a conversation with today. This is a Two Gentlemen of Verona brimming with laughter, romance, and recognizable heartache from four of Prague’s rising young stars: Genevieve Gionet, Renee Lamari, Stanislav Callas and František Jiří Heřmánek.

Saturday night, 28 June, ignites with a special 80-minute version of King John, a rarely-seen political thriller that has become shockingly relevant. In an age of algorithm-driven narratives, deep-fakes, and rampant “fake news,” this production dives headfirst into a world of manipulated information and contested truths. It’s a story of a nation in turmoil, wrestling with its identity under a leader whose claim to power is fragile. Witness the back-room dealing, the shifting alliances between countries, and the brutal propaganda wars that dominate our news feeds, all laid bare on stage by Brighde Mullins, a Guggenheim Fellow and award-winning playwright, who has crafted a modern verse translation that is both poetic and potent, capturing the political machinations and emotional turmoil of Shakespeare’s original with stunning clarity and force.

At the helm of this political thriller is PSC’s visionary Founder and Artistic Director, Guy Roberts, who also takes on a leading role. Roberts is a dynamic force in European theatre, an award-winning actor and director. He has cultivated the Prague Shakespeare Company into the Czech Republic’s premier English-language theatre, and his powerful stage presence and incisive direction promise a King John that is both epic in scale and intensely personal: this King John is a raw and visceral exploration of nations and leadership in crisis.

Starring as the troubled monarch himself, King John, is Stephan Wolfert, an actor, director, and US Army veteran who has dedicated his career to exploring the intersection of Shakespeare and the military experience. Wolfert is the creator of DE-CRUIT®, a program that uses classical actor training to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life. His unique perspective and profound understanding of the soldier’s mindset, honed through his off-Broadway work will undoubtedly bring a searing authenticity and psychological depth to the role of King John. He is joined onstage by the immensely talented Jessica Boone, a leading artist with PSC and a familiar face to international audiences from her recurring role in Amazon’s epic series The Wheel of Time. Boone, whose extensive stage and screen credits include everything from Shakespearean heroines to voice work in beloved anime series, brings her remarkable range and emotional depth to the pivotal role of Constance in King John, a mother fighting for truth and her son’s legacy against a tide of political spin. The production’s timeliness is further embodied by its star-filled cast including Prague favorites Elissa Levitt, Dawn Stern, Josh Morrison, and Jeff Smith among others. This is Shakespeare as a political mirror, and what it reflects about our current moment is both thrilling and terrifying.

Perhaps best of all, audiences may experience both plays in one evening as part of a special Double Bill performance on Sunday 29 June: the evening will feature Two Gentlemen of Verona followed by an intermission and then King John.

Presented by PSC, with additional support from the Hitz Foundation, as part of the audacious and critically acclaimed Play On Shakespeare series, these productions feature breathtaking new modern verse translations that make these classic stories resonate with the fierce urgency of now. Play On Shakespeare is a thrilling project that commissions brilliant contemporary playwrights to translate Shakespeare’s canon into accessible modern verse. The result is an experience that honors the original genius while making the work immediate, powerful, and clear for a new generation.

To experience this in the hallowed halls of the Estates Theatre, where Mozart himself premiered Don Giovanni, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a fusion of Prague’s profound history with a vision of theatre that is boldly looking towards the future. The convergence of this iconic venue, this world-class international talent, and these urgently relevant productions will simply not happen again.

Time is running out. This is more than just a play; it’s a cultural happening that captures the very essence of our turbulent, passionate, and complicated times. Do not let this weekend pass you by. Be one of the lucky few to witness Shakespeare speak directly to 2025.

Seize your last chance to be part of this unforgettable event. Tickets are selling fast.

Performances are THIS Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 27, 28, and 29 June.

Book your tickets NOW through the official National Theatre website before they are gone: