FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Antología?
A live selection of the best black-light sketches from Srnec’s repertoire since 1961. It is not one long story. It is eight scenes – objects and animals that behave as if they were alive. Handmade props. Live actors. No computers. No screens.
What will I actually see?
Eight scenes: Launderette (the oldest black-light scene in the world the company still plays. It was made three years before the theatre was officially founded), Suitcases, Lamps, Violinist, Magician, Photographer, Fish and Horse. We will not tell you what each one does — the titles are on the Show page; the stage keeps the secret. Humour, dance and illusion; closer to silent-film comedy than to a play with speeches.
What is black light theatre?
The stage is dark. Ultraviolet light makes painted objects glow. Actors dressed in black velvet move them against a black velvet background, so you see the object and not the person. That is the “black cabinet” principle Jiří Srnec built a whole theatre on. The point for Black Light Theatre Srnec is not the trick itself. The point is what the living object can say without words.
Is this the original black light theatre?
Yes. Black Light Theatre Srnec is the first company of its kind in the world. Jiří Srnec founded it in 1961 and made this name famous worldwide in the 1960s – 1990s. The company is still a family house in Prague, now directed by the founder’s son, Jiri Aster Srnec.
How long is the show?
About 90 minutes, including a 15-minute interval.
What time does it start?
Usually 18:00 or 20:00, depending on the day. Always check the date on the Tickets page. There is one or two shows per evening on the dates we publish.
Do I need to understand Czech?
No. Nobody speaks on stage. The show was built for international audiences. You do not need Czech, or any other language. Music, movement and objects tell the story.
Is it the same every night?
The programme is Antología: the same selection of scenes. Cast and small details can shift. You will not get a different title unless the Tickets page says so.
Is the room dark, loud, or full of strobe?
The room is dark. That is the form. There is no strobe and no fog. Volume is normal for live theatre. If someone in your group is sensitive to darkness, sit nearer the aisle so you can step out at the interval.
Will children find it frightening?
It is playful, not horror. The dark can surprise a very small child for the first minute. After that, most stay on the glowing objects. There is no spoken violence and no jump-scare lighting.
Where should I sit?
Sit in front row if you want closer contact with the actors — especially with children. A few rows back, the illusion deepens.
How much are tickets?
Current prices on our own sale (subject to change – the Tickets page is always the live figure):
- Adult – €27 (650 CZK)
- Student / senior (65+) – €23 (550 CZK)
- Child (ages 3–10) – €19 (450 CZK)
- Child under 3 – free, on a parent’s lap, no extra seat
Prices are in Czech crowns. Card payments are charged in CZK. A student or senior ticket can be checked at the door. Bring a valid student card if you booked that rate.
Where should I buy?
On this website, or at our box office on the night if seats remain. The house has 117 seats. Popular dates sell out. Buying here is the booking we control.
Why not GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Tickadoo, Viator or Booking.com?
Those sites resell our show. They add their own fee and their own cancel rules. If something goes wrong, you must deal with them first. A ticket bought from us is changed or refunded by us. If you already hold a third-party ticket, bring that confirmation to the box office and write to us only if we can still help.
Can I pay by card?
Yes – on this website and at the box office.
Do I need a printed ticket?
No. Show the ticket on your phone at the box office. A screenshot of the confirmation is enough if the signal is poor.
Can I cancel or change the date?
Write, call or WhatsApp: tickets@srnectheatre.com · +420 774 574 475.
Say the date, the name on the order, and what you need. We handle our own bookings case by case.
Do not follow the 24-hour cancel text on a reseller site if you bought from them – that text is theirs.
Can I give the ticket to someone else?
Yes. The person at the door shows the confirmation. The name does not have to match an ID.
How early should I book?
The room is small. Book as soon as you know the evening. Same-day tickets exist only when the date is not full.
What does the ticket include?
The seat for Antología. Drinks, snacks and souvenirs are extra, paid at the bar.
Do you invoice companies?
Yes. Billing name: Original Black Light Theatre Company s.r.o., ID: 03066134, VAT No.: CZ03066134, Vojtěšská 211/6, 110 00 Praha 1. Write to us before the show if you need the invoice on a company name.
Where is it?
Národní 20, Prague 1, inside Reduta Jazz Club. The box office is in the same building.
Office and billing address is different (Vojtěšská 211/6). Do not go there for the show.
How do I find the door?
Walk along Národní until you see the Reduta Jazz Club sign at number 20. Go in there. Staff will point you to the box office and the auditorium.
On Google Maps, search for Black Light Theatre Srnec – not just “black light theatre”. That generic search often leads to a different company. Another black light theatre is just few doors away. If you are standing inside passage, you are not at our door.
How do I get there by metro or tram?
Metro B — station Národní třída. Come up to the street; the door is a few metres away.
Trams that stop on Národní: 2, 9, 18, 22, 23 (check the live board; lines can change).
From Old Town Square or Wenceslas Square it is about a 5–8 minute walk.
Is there parking?
Street parking in the centre is paid and scarce. Metro, tram or walking is the reliable way. Do not plan a last-minute garage search at 19:40.
When is the box office open?
Mon 17:00–21:30
Tue 15:00–19:30
Wed–Sat 17:00–21:30
Sun 15:00–19:30
If you still need to buy on the night, arrive when doors open, not at curtain.
How early should I arrive?
Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Come then. Seats are not numbered. Arriving early is how a family sits together.
What if I am late?
The room is dark. Once the show has started we cannot promise to seat you until the interval. Arrive before curtain.
Are seats numbered?
No. 117 seats. You choose when you walk in. For the illusion, sit a few rows back, not on the lip of the stage. Centre is stronger than the far side.
Can I take photos and videos?
Yes. No flash. Flash kills the black light for everyone around you. We want you to shoot. If you post, tag @black.light.theatre.srnec we will appreciate that!
Are drinks allowed?
Yes. There is a bar in the building: alcoholic and non-alcoholic. No kitchen meals – snacks only. You may take drinks to your seat. Buy them before curtain or at the interval.
Is there a cloakroom?
Yes, and it is free. If the house is full we may ask you to leave a large coat there. There is no room for coats between the seats.
Are there toilets?
Yes.
What should I wear?
Come as you are. No dress code.
Do you speak English at the door?
Yes. Box office, WhatsApp and email work in English.
What happens at the interval?
About 15 minutes. Lights come up. Use the bar and toilets then. The second half starts on time.
Is it for children?
Yes. Children love our show. No words, bright objects, live actors. We recommend it from about age 3. Child price is for ages 3–10. Older children pay the student or adult rate as listed on the Tickets page.
What about babies under 3?
They may come. They sit on a parent’s lap. No extra seat and no extra ticket. If the baby becomes restless, step out. The interval is the clean moment to leave if you need to.
Can I bring a stroller?
The auditorium is small. Fold it. Leave it in the cloakroom if we ask.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
No. Reduta’s auditorium is not wheelchair accessible. There are stairs, and we are not allowed to make any changes.
What about hearing or low vision?
There is no spoken text to miss, and no surtitles to need. The show is visual and musical. Low vision will lose a large part of the evening; the form is light and object. Hearing loss is less of a barrier.
Do you take groups?
Yes. From 10 people. The house is 117 seats, so a large group has to be held on a date before anyone else fills it. Write, call or WhatsApp first. Do not buy 20 single tickets on a reseller and hope the row exists.
How do I book a group?
Email tickets@srnectheatre.com or WhatsApp +420 774 574 475 with:
- the date you want
- a second-choice date
- the number of adults / students / children
- one contact name and mobile number
From 10 people, write to us first – do not buy a stack of single tickets.
From 12 people, seats are confirmed by us, not by the online shop. Wait for our reply before you count the booking as done.
Is there a group price?
Contact us before you pay. Group terms are agreed on the booking, not on the public calendar.
Can we take the whole house?
Sometimes, on request. Write to the same email with the date and headcount. A private buyout is a conversation, not a button.
We can also add an extra show before or after the one already on the schedule.
We are a school / agency / company. Can we get an invoice?
Yes. Send IČ and billing address with the booking.
Who are you?
Black Light Theatre Srnec. Founded by Jiří Srnec in 1961, who gave the form its modern name and method. Now run by his son, Jiri Aster Srnec. Still a family company. Still in Prague. Full story on About us.
How do you pronounce Srnec?
“Srnets.” The Czech c sounds like ts. We write it that way once so you can say it to a guide, a hotel or a travel agent.
What is the short history?
Jiří Srnec began showing the method in the late 1950s (Vienna, 1959). The company was founded in 1961. The breakthrough night for the world was the Edinburgh Festival in 1962 — a sold-out house and the start of the touring life. Since then: more than 300 tours, performances in roughly 70 countries, over 100 international theatre festivals, more than five million spectators. In 2002 the company represented Czech culture at the NATO Summit in Prague. Jiří Srnec received the Medal of Merit (2011), the European Trebbia award (2014) and a special Thalia award (2018).
Do you still tour?
Yes. Prague is the home stage. The touring ensemble is often abroad. Recent years have included Germany and a long run of dates in Latin America. Promoters: use the contact form or tickets@srnectheatre.com and write “tour”.
How do I contact you?
tickets@srnectheatre.com
Phone or WhatsApp: +420 774 574 475
Instagram: @black.light.theatre.srnec
What is the legal name for invoices?
Original Black Light Theatre Company s.r.o.
IČ 03066134 · DIČ CZ03066134
Vojtěšská 211/6, Nové Město, 110 00 Praha 1