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Act one Amidst dancing and merriment at wake time in Mokr&aacute; Lhota the shepherd Jirka has to leave his friends because he serves a cruel master &ndash; the steward &ndash; who forces him to work even on a holiday. K&aacute;ča (Kate) comes into the tavern with her mother. All the guests find K&aacute;ča laughable because she is impudent and fat and nobody want to dance with her. When she complains that she would gladly dance even with the devil, a handsome man in gamekeeper&acute;s attire appears. He asks about the steward and the princess, and hears complaints from the villagers about both. Then he sits down beside K&aacute;ča, orders a beer, and &ndash; to everyone&acute;s amazement &ndash; asks her to dance.
The sad Jirka returns to the tavern. His master has thrown him out and told him to go to hell. K&aacute;ča is having a good time with the unknown man, and so after brief hesitation she accepts his invitation to leave with him. He stamps on the floor and falls through it with K&aacute;ča &ndash; to hell. Only now does everyone realise that the unknown man was a devil. The brave Jirka sets out to rescue K&aacute;ča.
Act two In hell a merry mood prevails: the devils shout, sing, and ply cards. They are waiting for the devil Marbuel, whom Lucifer has sent into the world to find out whether the evil princess is ripe for hell. Marbuel returns carrying on his back not the princess but K&aacute;ča. He wanted to play a joke on her, but now he is moaning and suffering: his legs hurt, but K&aacute;ča refuses to get down because up above he promised her a palace, and then he carried her off to hell instead.
There is a knock at the gates of hell &ndash; it is Jirka. He has come to free K&aacute;ča from hell (but actually also to free hell from K&aacute;ča). He advises to devils to show her some gold chains &ndash; that will get her down off Marbuel. This indeed happens and Marbuel can give his report about the steward and the princess. Lucifer pronounces his verdict: the princess will be carried off to hell, and the steward is to be given one more chance to mend his ways. But first they must get K&aacute;ča out of hell. Jirka promises help, for which Marbuel offers a reward: when the devil goes to frighten the steward with the threat of hell Jirka will pretend to rescue him, for which the steward will gladly pay him. Jirka agrees and manages with a ruse to dance K&aacute;ča out of hell.
Act three The princess is grieving in her palace: she has learned that the devil is to carry her off to hell. She realise her sins and regrets them. She has sent for Jirka and hopes he will help her scare aware the devil as he did in the case of the steward. At first Jirka hesitates to help, but she promises to mend her ways: she will rule justly and abolish serfdom.
Jirka prepares for the devil&acute;s coming. He hides K&aacute;ča in the palace and gives her a task: upon the arrival of the devil, who deceived her and carried her off to hell rather than to a palace, she is to grab him. When the full moon appears in the sky the devil comes for the princess. Jirka runs out and yells at him to flee, warning him that K&aacute;ča is in the palace and will surely try to catch him and take revenge on him. The devil flees in terror. The princess is saved, appoints Jirka her first Councillor, and rewards K&aacute;ča for her help with a new house and money.

National Theatre Chorus National Theatre Orchestra Ballet of the National Theatre Opera&nbsp; 
Anton&iacute;n Dvoř&aacute;k&rsquo;s two most successful operas, The Devil and Kate, and Rusalka, are based on fairy-tale motifs. Blending folk and humorous with lyrical and fantasy elements is one of the typical (and still very popular) traits of Czech drama. Dvoř&aacute;k created a masterly patchwork of contrasting scenes &ndash; folksy, breezy, fiendishly fervent and courtly noble. Owing to the inspired invention with musical motifs and orchestra instrumentation, The Devil and Kate is a thoroughly original work from beginning to end, one that surpasses Dvoř&aacute;k&rsquo;s previous operas in many respects. Adolf Born's exquisite sets and costumes bear the hallmark of this original and popular artist.
WARNING: Gunshots will be heard during the performance. Suitable for audience from 5 years.

The Devil and Kate Programme

Book Opera - a set of quizzes, games and tasks

Opera

The National Theatre Opera

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Michaela Zajmi (Kate) – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: František Zahradníček (Devil),  Michaela Zajmi (Kate) – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Jana Kurucová (Kate), Aleš Briscein (Shepherd Jirka), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Daniel Čapkovič (Devil), Jana Kurucová (Kate), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Jana Kurucová (Kate), Daniel Čapkovič (Devil), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Aleš Briscein (Shepherd Jirka) – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Daniel Čapkovič (Devil), Jana Kurucová (Kate), Zdeněk Plech (Lucifer), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Zdeněk Plech (Lucifer), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: National Theatre Opera Ballet – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Daniel Čapkovič (Devil) – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Jana Kurucová (Kate), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

NT Opera I The Devil and Kate: Aleš Briscein (Shepherd Jirka), National Theatre Chorus  – photo: Zdeněk Sokol

Čapkovič

Devil Marbuel

Vele

Jalovcová

Kate

Hájková

Chamber-maid

Hendrych

Devil porter

Kobielska

Princess

Burešová

Kučerová

Mother

Zahradníček

Hrachovec

Steward

Ročková

Svobodová

Březina

Shepherd Jirka

Černý

Hruška

Musician

Sýkorová

Šrejma

Dvořák

Devil - child

Brindzák

Sulženko

Lucifer

Plech

Šmídová

Drábek

Devil - guard

Hudi

Jonášová

Švec

Conductor

Chalupecký

Jindra

Briscein

Samek

Kurucová

Zajmi

Škvárová

Hájek

Líkař

Korszák

Sibera

Gattringerová

Kyzlink

Švingr

Kotlár

Devil porter / Steward

Bařák

Chudovský

Wiesner

Vaněk

Born

Malý

Czech

English

The Devil and Kate

Devil - guard, Steward

Marbuel

Musical preparation

Stage director

Sets and costumes 

Chorus preparation

Choreography

Light design

Chorus master

Dramaturgy

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