National Marionette Theatre

National Marionette Theatre is a Prague theatre company devoted entirely to puppetry, based in the Old Town district of Prague, Czech Republic. Active since June 1991, the company has spent more than three decades building a reputation as one of the city's most recognizable puppet stages.

Where is the theatre located?

The theatre sits in Staré Město (Old Town), one of the oldest and most visited districts of the Czech capital. Its coordinates are roughly 50.0877°N, 14.4177°E, placing it right in the heart of Prague's historic urban core, surrounded by other landmark buildings and centuries-old streets.

What is the story behind the building?

Part of what makes National Marionette Theatre distinctive is the venue itself. The company performs in a historical puppetry space known as Říše loutek — "The Realm of Puppets" — whose history dates back to at least 1929. That same hall hosted the founding of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA), the international organization bringing together puppetry artists and researchers from around the world. This gives the venue a significance that goes beyond a single theatre company: it is a site tied to the international history of puppetry as an art form.

It is worth distinguishing between the age of the current company and the age of the space: the troupe performing today has operated since 1991, while the Říše loutek hall was already associated with puppetry decades earlier, before the Second World War. The theatre therefore bridges a newer, post-1991 company with a much older, pre-war building history.

What does the company perform?

National Marionette Theatre is a troupe dedicated exclusively to puppetry performances. Its artistic output centers on marionette and puppet shows, placing it within the long-standing Czech tradition of puppetry — a discipline for which Czech Republic, and Prague in particular, is internationally known.

Why does this address matter to visitors of the Old Town?

For anyone exploring Prague's Old Town, National Marionette Theatre connects two threads of the city's cultural identity: a living theatre company with more than three decades of continuous activity, and a much older, multi-generational tradition of puppetry as a Czech artistic specialty. Its location at the center of the historic district places it alongside other culturally significant sites, and its presence underlines how deeply puppetry is woven into the identity of this part of the city.

Frequently asked questions

Since when has National Marionette Theatre been active? The company in its current form has operated since June 1991.

Is the building older than the company itself? Yes. The troupe was formed in 1991, but it performs in the historical Říše loutek space, documented since at least 1929.

Why is the Říše loutek venue historically significant? Because it hosted the founding of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA), the international puppetry organization.

Where exactly is the theatre located? In the Staré Město (Old Town) district of Prague, Czech Republic.

What kind of performances does the theatre offer? Puppet and marionette shows — this is the company's sole and defining artistic focus.