Mrki Theatre from Poreč is one of those theatrical miracles that are not planned but grow spontaneously, born out of pure love for the stage. Over the decade of its existence, the ensemble gathered everyone — from seven-year-old children to the oldest theatre enthusiasts — and at one point counted as many as twenty-seven members. Generations breathed, learned, and created together, functioning like a true small theatrical family.
Kako su nastajale predstave
“Because they had trouble with existing scripts, it was easier for me to write dramatic texts specifically for them,” recalls Katja Restović, who led the ensemble throughout all ten years. “I knew them well and could tailor each role so that the actor could carry it. That’s how we created plays that were truly ours, shaped around our ensemble.”
During those years, an entire gallery of successful productions emerged. In 2012, Restović wrote and directed “We Are All the Same (Under the Skin)”, and in the same year created an adaptation of the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea”, performed in the Poreč Theatre in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, the production travelled to the Zlatni Lav Festival in Umag, where it made a strong impression and confirmed the vitality and energy of this small but dedicated ensemble.
The 2013/2014 season brought the comedy “In a Rush”, and in 2013 the ensemble took part in Theatre Night with a specially created performance for the event. In 2014, Restović adapted and directed another fairy tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, once again returning the ensemble to a playful, imaginative world of children’s literature. At the same time, she began work on the feature film “Gates of Redemption”, for which she wrote the screenplay and took on the role of director.
Your Face Sounds Dangerous
The next creative phase, between 2016 and 2020, was marked by the parody-comedy “Your Face Sounds Dangerous”, performed in 2016 at the Poreč Theatre. The production became legendary within the ensemble because it was created without a single full rehearsal. “I worked on different sections with different groups of people, and we put everything together only at the dress rehearsal. And the ensemble had sixty people at the time!” Restović recalls. “But we succeeded — and it was a moment I will never forget.”
Over the years, many members helped shape the identity of Mrki Theatre — among them Žitomir Klaričić, Anamarija Tubaković, Azeglio Picco, Patrick Darer, Alenka Korelić Lučić, Daliborka Škofić, Jakša Grgić, Sven Djula, Nenad Sinčić, Fedora Matejčić, Franca Kleinert, and many others.
For Katja Restović, working in Mrki Theatre remains one of her most precious experiences. “They taught me so much, and I taught them. It was mutual education and affection. I learned a lot about theatre, but also about patience, dramaturgy, and working with people. It was an incredible synergy of creativity, work, and friendship.”
Izazovi i inspiracija
The greatest challenge over the years was not artistic but logistical: getting all members together for rehearsals. Yet it was precisely such challenges that made the ten years of Mrki Theatre unforgettable — both for the ensemble and for the audience.
“We all remained good friends,” Restović concludes. “It was ten years of companionship, creation, and shared growth. One of those stories that happens only once.”
