Latvian Theatre Showcase 2026

Latvian Theatre Showcase will take place in Riga, November 5-8, 2026 - to find out more, please contact skate @ ltds.lv!

After three years of organising the Latvian Theatre Showcase as we began shaping this year’s programme, we realised that the themes of self-identity, resistance to circumstances, and the defence of one’s rights, beliefs, and professional integrity have become central to many of the productions created in Latvia during the past season.

It is particularly significant that nearly half of these productions were created by women artists or with their strong creative involvement, and we believe it is important to highlight this at the beginning of our new three-year cycle.

In different ways, the characters in these Latvian productions find themselves in situations where they must define and defend their own position. This is true both in reinterpretations of classical works - such as Macbeth at the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre, which invites a new perspective on the role of Lady Macbeth, or the stage adaptation of the American novel The Fountainhead at Dailes Theatre, where the question of artistic independence unfolds alongside the characters’ personal relationships.

The same themes can be found in contemporary works, including The Docents at New Riga Theatre, based on a play by Finnish playwright Juha Jokela, and The Mosquito at the Latvian National Theatre, based on the play by Latvian playwright and writer Andris Kalnozols.

The struggle for ideals, for one’s own life, for love, freedom, and the right to remain oneself can be traced throughout the performances that form this year’s showcase programme.

This year, we will present productions from the Latvian National Theatre, Dailes Theatre, New Riga Theatre, the Latvian Puppet Theatre, Liepajas Theatre, Dirty Deal Teatro, and the Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre, Theatre on Gertrude Street. We are also planning a visit to Valmiera to include one of the Valmieras theatre’s productions in the programme.

In addition to the program of performances within the institutional framework of Latvian theater, we believe it is necessary to discuss the work of independent artists and creative groups, as well as the gradual redistribution of artistic content development away from state institutions, which have long been the foundation of Latvian theater society. 

The second topic of the showcase discussion meetings will be a roundtable discussion on the role of theater festivals in Latvia, their development and impact on society, and their contribution to the contemporary cultural life of the country's regions. We will meet with the directors of the Valmiera Summer Theater Festival, which has been running for over 10 years; the Homo Novus Festival, which has been running for over 30 years; the brand-new Theatre in Close-Up festival in Liepaja, which will present its second-year program this summer; and the Theatre Festival No., which has been held in Daugavpils for five years.

And as always, a nightly festival club for informal communication between SKATE festival participants will be held at the ISTABA Gallery.