Black light theatre and Laterna Magika: what it is

Walk round the Old Town for ten minutes and someone will hand you a flyer for a black light show. The flyer won't tell you what the thing actually is, and the best version of it has a serious pedigree.

The trick

Black light theatre is a stage technique, not a story. The stage is draped in black velvet and the performers dress in black, so under the right light they vanish. Props and costume pieces are painted in fluorescent colours, and ultraviolet light makes them glow. Since nobody can see the person doing the moving, a glowing hat drifts across the stage on its own. A fish swims through the air. Objects fly.

Black-clad handlers are not a Czech invention, and various traditions have used them for centuries. What the Czech lands did was pair the idea with modern lighting, choreography and design, and turn it into a recognisable genre.

Laterna Magika

The best-known name is Laterna Magika, "magic lantern". It was created for the Czechoslovak pavilion at the 1958 World Expo in Brussels and caused a sensation. The names usually attached to it are the director Alfréd Radok and the scenographer Josef Svoboda. They combined live performers with film projected on screens, so an actor could step out of a projection or talk to a filmed double. For its time that was an extraordinary idea.

Laterna Magika later became part of the National Theatre and is based at the New Stage next to the historic building. It keeps working in that mixed-media tradition, with dance, film and theatre in one performance. The programme changes, so check what is on. Our National Theatre guide explains how to book through official channels.

The tourist version

Prague also has a number of independent black light theatres, mostly in the centre, with short wordless shows built on spectacle. Some are well made. Some are routine and aimed at groups with an hour to fill. Because they have no words, they work for children and for audiences with no Czech, which is also why they are so heavily marketed.

A few tests help. Look for the venue's own website and a programme with titles and running times. Be wary of a street flyer with a price and no detail. Find out whether the show is for adults or families, since some tell a children's story and others lean towards cabaret. And check the running time, because some last an hour and others longer with an interval.

No individual private shows are named here, because programmes and venues change. A reliable listing has a named venue, named creators and a date you can check on the venue's own site.

What to expect inside

The auditorium is dark and the effects depend on distance and angle. The best seats are central and a little back, where you can see the whole stage. Front rows can break the illusion, because you may spot the edge of a handler. Photography is normally restricted, since a flash ruins the effect.

The show makes more sense once you know the family it belongs to. Mid-century Czechoslovak design, puppetry and animation were strong, and black light theatre grew out of that world. See our guides to the Czech puppet tradition and Czech cinema.

Do this today

Decide whether you want the historic mixed-media experience or a light family show, check the programme of the venue you choose and book direct. Not sure? Start with the National Theatre's listings and see what Laterna Magika has on this month.