The National Theatre Mostar ( Bosnian: ''Narodno pozorište Mostar'') is the largest public theatre in

Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

, where performances are held, as well as other arts events. It was officially founded on 28 November 1949 and the opening play was Matej Bora's ''Night at the Globoko'' (''Odrpanci''), directed by Safet Pašalić. It opened on 17 November 1951 as the first newly built theater building in Bosnia and Herzegovina after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, with a premiere of ''

Hasanaginica ''Hasanaginica'', also ''Asanaginica'', (first published as ''The Mourning Song of the Noble Wife of the Hasan Aga'') is a South Slavic folk ballad, created during the period of 1646–49, in the region of Imotski, which at the time was a part ...

'' directed by Sveto Milutinović.

Bosnian War

Up until the start of the

war in Bosnia and Herzegovina The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war ...

in 1992, the National Theatre Mostar produced 291 shows. The last show, prior to the start of the war was

Meša Selimović Mehmed "Meša" Selimović (; ; 26 April 1910 – 11 July 1982) was a Yugoslav writer, whose novel '' Death and the Dervish'' is one of the most important literary works in post-World War II Yugoslavia. Some of the main themes in his works are the ...

's ''Death and the Dervish'' directed by Ahmet Obradović. National Theatre Mostar Facade promenade

The theatre had performances on a small stage during the war while the big stage was "reserved" for refugees. The building was eventually destroyed as a result of the war. The set area was completely burnt and the costume shop was severely damaged as well.

Annual festival

The National Theatre Mostar hosts an annual comedy festival called ''Mostarska Liska''. The first festival was held in 1991 at the initiative of Ahmet Obradović, a former theatre director. The festival was then reestablished in 2004 at the initiative Šerif Aljić, former actor and theatre director. Mostarska Liska takes place between April and May each year. “Liska” is, in fact, a typical slapstick comedy character of the local tradition. At the end of the show, a jury awards two prizes: the “Great Liska” (locally called “Velika liska”) for the best theatrical performance, and the “Little Liska” (locally called “Mala Liska”) for the best actor. The current theatre is still undergoing intensive and continuous efforts to rebuild its technical and human resources to strengthen the current theater.Official Theatre Website
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References

{{authority control Buildings and structures in Mostar Theatres in Bosnia and Herzegovina Theatre companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1949 establishments in Yugoslavia 1951 establishments in Yugoslavia