Theater
Zana Hoxha’s “No Carmen” plays to a full house in Zagreb; audience calls actors back to the stage three times
After premiering at Ljubljana’s Mladinsko Theatre, the Kosovo director’s provocative reinterpretation of “Carmen” was staged in the Croatian capital and is expected to continue touring the Balkans.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 21, 2026, 15:03 · Updated 12:24 · 1 min read
In brief
- Director Zana Hoxha’s show “No Carmen” was performed in Zagreb to a packed house.
- The Ljubljana Mladinsko Theatre production blends opera, performance and rehearsals to address stereotypes and the position of women.
- Hoxha says she did not expect such a reception and that the show is expected to travel to other theaters in the region.
Kosovo director Zana Hoxha took her show “No Carmen” to Zagreb, where the Ljubljana Mladinsko Theatre (Slovensko mladinsko gledališče) production was performed Tuesday evening before a packed house. At the end, according to the director, the audience called the actors back to the stage three times with applause.
The show premiered on May 14 in Ljubljana and is a contemporary, provocative reinterpretation of “Carmen.” It blends opera with performance, rehearsal scenes and fantasy, speaking about desire, violence and spectacle, but above all about social stereotypes, power relations and the place of women in society. After the show, the host theater organized a talk between the audience and the artists.
An international team, music by Liburn Jupolli
Behind the production is a large creative team: dramaturgy by Urška Brodar, music by Kosovo composer Liburn Jupolli, choreography by Lada Petrovski Ternovšek, set design by Dunja Zupančič and costumes by Jelena Proković. The Mladinsko company performs on stage, including Anja Novak, Maruša Oblak, Klemen Kovačič and Boris Kos.
In a statement to KultPlus, Hoxha described the evening in Zagreb as one of those shows that stay with you for a long time. She said she had not expected such a strong reaction from the audience and that she is proud of the collaboration with Mladinsko, adding that the night reminded her why she loves the work she does.
Zana Hoxha is among the most active directors on the Kosovo stage, known for her work in socially engaged theater and on social themes. According to the announcement, “No Carmen” is expected to continue its journey to other theaters in the Balkans.
