Croatian Renaissance Playwright Držić to Feature at London Events

The news in Croatian

1. pisac  (m.)
   Osoba koja piše knjige, drame ili druge književne tekstove. ↩︎
2. listopad  (m.)
   Deseti mjesec u godini. ↩︎
3. održavati
   Organizirati ili provoditi neki događaj ili aktivnost. ↩︎
4. simpozij  (m.)
   Stručni skup ili konferencija na kojoj se raspravlja o određenoj temi. ↩︎
5. predstava  (f.)
   Javni nastup ili izvedba u kazalištu pred publikom. ↩︎
6. cilj  (m.)
   Ono što se želi postići ili ostvariti nekim djelovanjem. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Where in London will the programme about Marin Držić take place?

Question 2: In what language will the theatrical performances be presented?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
pisac  (m.)	writer
listopad  (m.)	October
održavati	to hold / to take place
simpozij  (m.)	symposium
predstava  (f.)	performance
cilj  (m.)	goal

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The works of Marin Držić, the celebrated Renaissance playwright from Dubrovnik, are to take centre stage in London on 7 and 8 October 2026, as part of a two-day programme organised by the Dom Marina Držića cultural institution from Dubrovnik.

The events will be held at University College London (UCL) and the Bloomsbury Theatre (Studio). Notably, the programme has been included in the calendar marking UCL’s 200th anniversary, one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

On the first day, 7 October, UCL’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies will host a academic symposium entitled “Marin Držić and Renaissance Drama in Translation”, bringing together historians, translators, and theatre specialists to discuss the challenges of translating and adapting Renaissance drama for contemporary audiences. That evening, the Croatian Embassy in London will hold a reception connected to the Držić Day project.

On 8 October, the Bloomsbury Theatre will host two dramatic readings of Držić’s works in English. The first, Venus and Adonis, is translated by Professor Wendy Bracewell of UCL and directed by Philip Parr, with performers from the York International Shakespeare Festival. The second, Long Nose Speaks, is a new collage piece written and directed by Filip Krenus, drawing on several of Držić’s plays including Uncle Maroye, Old Stan or A Fool Fooled, Pinch Hoard, Plakir, Son of Cupid, and Tirena, performed by Honey-Tongued Theatre Productions.

Dom Marina Držića has published six English translations of Držić’s works to date. Representatives of the institution stated: “Our task is to brand Držić as one of the most prominent Croatian writers and most significant authors of European Renaissance comedy. It is a title he undoubtedly deserves, and through projects such as this we preserve Držić from being forgotten.”

The delegation attending will include the director of Dom Marina Držića, Nikša Matić, the Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, Velibor Puzović, and the head of Dubrovnik’s Department of Culture, Julijana Antić Brautović.