17 Jul 2026 - 11:03
Ukrainian playwright Viktor Kyrylov has been awarded the Prix Václav Havel in Avignon
« From among many high-calibre candidates, the jury selected Viktor Kyrylov, whose work combines artistic merit with painful personal experiences drawn from the contemporary world, where former friends become enemies as a result of changing social circumstances. Shared values are thus destroyed by aggressive political agendas. The artist embodies the new generation of young talent. His personal history is reflected in his ability to reflect on the lack of freedom in today’s world. Without pathos and with sincerity, Viktor carries on the legacy of Václav Havel, combining civic courage with vibrant theatrical creation, » summarised Jan Burian, Director-General of the Prague National Theatre and the chairman of the international jury.
« It is the story of Václav Havel that inspires me deeply and convinces me that our craft can serve a purpose greater than ourselves. That, starting from small theatres, often only half-full, we can bring down dictatorships precisely because of these words that remain with us, » declared Viktor Kyrylov during the ceremony.
« The Prix Vá clav Havel honours the memory of the playwright and former Czech president (1936–2011), a leading figure in the resistance against communism whose works have left their mark on the history of Avignon. Launched to mark the 90th anniversary of his birth, this international prize aims to recognise an author featured in the 2026 In and Off programmes for their dramatic power and commitment in the face of oppression, echoing Havel’s work and the values of freedom of expression championed by the festival in Avignon, » explains Radka Ondráčková, director of the Czech Centre in Paris, which is behind the Prix Václav Havel.
In addition to this highly symbolic recognition of his work, the winner, Viktor Kyrylov, will be awarded a four-week residency at the Prague National Theatre, as well as a stay at the Czech Centre in Paris. The trophy presented to him is a unique vase crafted by the renowned Bohemian crystal manufacturer Moser, bearing the engraved signature of Václav Havel.
Šeřík
, an unpublished and unfinished play by Václav Havel, received its world premiere during the first part of the ceremony. The play was translated for the occasion by
Katia Hala , and the reading was directed by
Frédéric Poty .
Synopsis : An unexpected guest takes the writer Vaněk by surprise at his summer residence, which is reminiscent of Havel’s Hrádeček. Šeřík, a secret police officer, has come from Prague to inspect the subject of his investigation. The dialogue between the dissident and the secret police officer turns into a game of cat and mouse in which the roles of the two protagonists are constantly reversed.
History: It was around 2020 that David Dušek discovered the fragment of the play Šeřík in the archives of his grandfather, Zdeněk Urbánek. With the help of former colleagues of Václav Havel, who were familiar with his handwriting, they transcribed the handwritten pages into typed text. The 146 pages of the manuscript thus resulted in a 48-page transcription. Interspersed amongst the pages of Šeřík are several opening scenes from another of Havel’s plays, Pokoušení / Temptation . This is how characters such as Foustka, Mrs Foustková and Mefi (or Fistula, in the final version of Temptation – that is, Havel’s equivalent of Mephistopheles) suddenly burst into the dialogue between Vaněk and Šeřík.
Havel mentions the one-act play Šeřík as early as 1977 in his diary, in which he recorded his impressions and ideas during his first spell in prison. This diary served as the basis for four long essays describing the origins of Charter 77, as well as for his concept of one-act plays, or ‘vaňkovky’ as Havel called them.
The award ceremony took place on 16 July 2026 from 6.00 pm in the L’Extra auditorium at La Manufacture theatre in Avignon, attended by the international jury and numerous prominent figures from the world of culture. The ceremony was hosted by
Emma Smetana , a Franco-Czech actress, singer and songwriter.
The performers in the reading – Clémence Longy, Pauline Coffre, Manon Payelleville, Ewen Crovella, Charlotte Fermand, Noémie Rimbert and Thomas Guené – are all graduates of the ‘Václav Havel’ Class 73 at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre (ENSATT), the first cohort to bear, in addition to its number, the name of an illustrious patron. Václav Havel never met his ‘godchildren’, but they corresponded with him, and following his death, they paid tribute to him through performances and readings at the festival in Avignon. Several members of the Class 73 ‘Václav Havel’ agreed to take part in the ceremony and to lend their talent to the world premiere of Šeřík .
The evening drew to a close with a photographic tribute to Havel by Bohdan Holomíček and a musical performance by the duo Emma Smetana & Jordan Haj .
The ceremony, under the artistic direction of
Pierre Urban , featured a moving tribute to Václav Havel from all the finalists.
Christiane Jatahy (Brazil) – whose play Un procès - après l'ennemi du peuple / A trial - After an Enemy of the People is being performed as part of the Festival d ’ Avignon | Gymnase Aubanel.
« Václav Havel ’ s work remains remarkably relevant today. His demand for truth, his defence of freedom and his sense of responsibility continue to inspire the way we think about theatre and the world. For me, it remains a work of great power, which nourishes my artistic thinking. »
Hend Jouda (Palestine) – whose play Gaza ô ma joie / Gaza, Oh My Joy! is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon | La Manufacture — Château.
« Here we are, dear Václav, as part of a support network that bears your name; we are opening our eyes, just as you did before us, so that they may be windows onto the heart, and we believe, like fools, that good can triumph. Yes, this can happen if we allow literature and the arts to be heard, seen and felt. »
Édouard Louis (France) – whose play En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule / The End of Eddy is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon | La Manufacture — L ’ Extra.
« Vá clav Havel was a man who refused to remain silent in the face of a system ’ s violence. As a dissident and playwright, he turned writing into a weapon against state propaganda and oppression. He showed that literature and theatre are not merely bourgeois pastimes: they are spaces for truth and struggle. His non-violent Velvet Revolution proved that it is sometimes possible to overthrow a regime through words, and that we, as artists, have – now more than ever – a role to play in the battle against political violence. »
Delphine Minoui (France/Iran) – whose play Badjens / Badjens is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon | Le 11 • Avignon.
« Vaclav Havel embodies the power of words against the words of power. He embodies the courage to say no, to take action. He embodies hope held aloft as a shield and, above all, faith in freedom. He embodies a way of seeing the world and of taking a stand that is more meaningful than ever at a time when the term ‘ democracy ’ is being steadily eroded. »
«
Throughout my career in theatre, I have always wondered about the purpose of our profession. Beyond its entertainment value, what is the real purpose of theatre? Even if we consider its most profound effects – audiences moved to tears, ideas shared, new realisations – do we really change the world? At the end of the day, all we do is talk on stage, and more often than not, without even a stage.
It is the story of Václav Havel that inspires me deeply and convinces me that our craft can serve a purpose greater than ourselves. That, starting from small theatres, often only half-full, we can bring down dictatorships precisely because of these words that remain with us.
To me, the phenomenon of Václav Havel is profoundly theatrical. His mission was similar to the one I attribute to theatre: amidst the chaos that surrounded him, and the violence and absurdity in which he lived, he was able to identify and distinguish good from evil. He had the courage to speak out, with absolute sincerity and, above all, with humanity.
It is a particular pleasure to recall that he began his career in the theatre. For today, what strikes me as essential is to rediscover that aspiration which drove him: to have the courage to speak out about what is wrong and what is right. »
Seven outstanding professionals from the worlds of culture and theatre, with extensive international experience, have taken on the task of assessing the shortlist of playwrights featured this year as part of the Avignon
‘ In
’ and
‘ Off
’ festivals.
The Václav Havel Prize is supported by Czech Cultural Institute (NIK) , Perform Czech , the City of Prague , the City of Brno and the South Moravian Region . Moser Crystal is the partner for the trophy.
Press release from Centre tchèque de Paris-Friday 17 July 2026.
The young Ukrainian playwright Viktor Kyrylov is the winner of the new Prix Václav Havel, awarded last night in Avignon to celebrate contemporary theatre that is socially engaged, in the spirit of the playwright and former Czech president. An unpublished and unfinished play by Václav Havel, Šeřík, received its world premiere during the ceremony at the Théâtre La Manufacture—L’Extra, performed by members of the ENSATT’s Class 73, named after Václav Havel. The prize was awarded to the young Ukrainian playwright Viktor Kyrylov whose play Maintenant je n'écris plus qu'en français / Now I Only Write in French is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon at the Théâtre Le 11 • Avignon.« From among many high-calibre candidates, the jury selected Viktor Kyrylov, whose work combines artistic merit with painful personal experiences drawn from the contemporary world, where former friends become enemies as a result of changing social circumstances. Shared values are thus destroyed by aggressive political agendas. The artist embodies the new generation of young talent. His personal history is reflected in his ability to reflect on the lack of freedom in today’s world. Without pathos and with sincerity, Viktor carries on the legacy of Václav Havel, combining civic courage with vibrant theatrical creation, » summarised Jan Burian, Director-General of the Prague National Theatre and the chairman of the international jury.
« It is the story of Václav Havel that inspires me deeply and convinces me that our craft can serve a purpose greater than ourselves. That, starting from small theatres, often only half-full, we can bring down dictatorships precisely because of these words that remain with us, » declared Viktor Kyrylov during the ceremony.
« The Prix Vá clav Havel honours the memory of the playwright and former Czech president (1936–2011), a leading figure in the resistance against communism whose works have left their mark on the history of Avignon. Launched to mark the 90th anniversary of his birth, this international prize aims to recognise an author featured in the 2026 In and Off programmes for their dramatic power and commitment in the face of oppression, echoing Havel’s work and the values of freedom of expression championed by the festival in Avignon, » explains Radka Ondráčková, director of the Czech Centre in Paris, which is behind the Prix Václav Havel.
In addition to this highly symbolic recognition of his work, the winner, Viktor Kyrylov, will be awarded a four-week residency at the Prague National Theatre, as well as a stay at the Czech Centre in Paris. The trophy presented to him is a unique vase crafted by the renowned Bohemian crystal manufacturer Moser, bearing the engraved signature of Václav Havel.
World premiere of a previously unpublished play by Václav Havel :
Šeřík
Šeřík
, an unpublished and unfinished play by Václav Havel, received its world premiere during the first part of the ceremony. The play was translated for the occasion by
Katia Hala , and the reading was directed by
Frédéric Poty .
Synopsis : An unexpected guest takes the writer Vaněk by surprise at his summer residence, which is reminiscent of Havel’s Hrádeček. Šeřík, a secret police officer, has come from Prague to inspect the subject of his investigation. The dialogue between the dissident and the secret police officer turns into a game of cat and mouse in which the roles of the two protagonists are constantly reversed.
History: It was around 2020 that David Dušek discovered the fragment of the play Šeřík in the archives of his grandfather, Zdeněk Urbánek. With the help of former colleagues of Václav Havel, who were familiar with his handwriting, they transcribed the handwritten pages into typed text. The 146 pages of the manuscript thus resulted in a 48-page transcription. Interspersed amongst the pages of Šeřík are several opening scenes from another of Havel’s plays, Pokoušení / Temptation . This is how characters such as Foustka, Mrs Foustková and Mefi (or Fistula, in the final version of Temptation – that is, Havel’s equivalent of Mephistopheles) suddenly burst into the dialogue between Vaněk and Šeřík.
Havel mentions the one-act play Šeřík as early as 1977 in his diary, in which he recorded his impressions and ideas during his first spell in prison. This diary served as the basis for four long essays describing the origins of Charter 77, as well as for his concept of one-act plays, or ‘vaňkovky’ as Havel called them.
About the ceremony
The award ceremony took place on 16 July 2026 from 6.00 pm in the L’Extra auditorium at La Manufacture theatre in Avignon, attended by the international jury and numerous prominent figures from the world of culture. The ceremony was hosted by
Emma Smetana , a Franco-Czech actress, singer and songwriter.
The performers in the reading – Clémence Longy, Pauline Coffre, Manon Payelleville, Ewen Crovella, Charlotte Fermand, Noémie Rimbert and Thomas Guené – are all graduates of the ‘Václav Havel’ Class 73 at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre (ENSATT), the first cohort to bear, in addition to its number, the name of an illustrious patron. Václav Havel never met his ‘godchildren’, but they corresponded with him, and following his death, they paid tribute to him through performances and readings at the festival in Avignon. Several members of the Class 73 ‘Václav Havel’ agreed to take part in the ceremony and to lend their talent to the world premiere of Šeřík .
The evening drew to a close with a photographic tribute to Havel by Bohdan Holomíček and a musical performance by the duo Emma Smetana & Jordan Haj .
Václav Havel’s legacy as seen by contemporary authors
The ceremony, under the artistic direction of
Pierre Urban , featured a moving tribute to Václav Havel from all the finalists.
Christiane Jatahy (Brazil) – whose play Un procès - après l'ennemi du peuple / A trial - After an Enemy of the People is being performed as part of the Festival d ’ Avignon | Gymnase Aubanel.
« Václav Havel ’ s work remains remarkably relevant today. His demand for truth, his defence of freedom and his sense of responsibility continue to inspire the way we think about theatre and the world. For me, it remains a work of great power, which nourishes my artistic thinking. »
Hend Jouda (Palestine) – whose play Gaza ô ma joie / Gaza, Oh My Joy! is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon | La Manufacture — Château.
« Here we are, dear Václav, as part of a support network that bears your name; we are opening our eyes, just as you did before us, so that they may be windows onto the heart, and we believe, like fools, that good can triumph. Yes, this can happen if we allow literature and the arts to be heard, seen and felt. »
Édouard Louis (France) – whose play En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule / The End of Eddy is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon | La Manufacture — L ’ Extra.
« Vá clav Havel was a man who refused to remain silent in the face of a system ’ s violence. As a dissident and playwright, he turned writing into a weapon against state propaganda and oppression. He showed that literature and theatre are not merely bourgeois pastimes: they are spaces for truth and struggle. His non-violent Velvet Revolution proved that it is sometimes possible to overthrow a regime through words, and that we, as artists, have – now more than ever – a role to play in the battle against political violence. »
Delphine Minoui (France/Iran) – whose play Badjens / Badjens is being performed as part of the Festival Off Avignon | Le 11 • Avignon.
« Vaclav Havel embodies the power of words against the words of power. He embodies the courage to say no, to take action. He embodies hope held aloft as a shield and, above all, faith in freedom. He embodies a way of seeing the world and of taking a stand that is more meaningful than ever at a time when the term ‘ democracy ’ is being steadily eroded. »
Acceptance speech by Viktor Kyrylov
«
Throughout my career in theatre, I have always wondered about the purpose of our profession. Beyond its entertainment value, what is the real purpose of theatre? Even if we consider its most profound effects – audiences moved to tears, ideas shared, new realisations – do we really change the world? At the end of the day, all we do is talk on stage, and more often than not, without even a stage.
It is the story of Václav Havel that inspires me deeply and convinces me that our craft can serve a purpose greater than ourselves. That, starting from small theatres, often only half-full, we can bring down dictatorships precisely because of these words that remain with us.
To me, the phenomenon of Václav Havel is profoundly theatrical. His mission was similar to the one I attribute to theatre: amidst the chaos that surrounded him, and the violence and absurdity in which he lived, he was able to identify and distinguish good from evil. He had the courage to speak out, with absolute sincerity and, above all, with humanity.
It is a particular pleasure to recall that he began his career in the theatre. For today, what strikes me as essential is to rediscover that aspiration which drove him: to have the courage to speak out about what is wrong and what is right. »
The Jury
Seven outstanding professionals from the worlds of culture and theatre, with extensive international experience, have taken on the task of assessing the shortlist of playwrights featured this year as part of the Avignon
‘ In
’ and
‘ Off
’ festivals.
- Jan Burian (Czech Republic) – Chair of the Jury, General Director of the Prague National Theatre
- Clá udia Belchior (Portugal) – Executive Coordinator for the Performing Arts, Belém Cultural Centre
- Marylin Carnier (Canada) – General Director of the Centre des Auteurs Dramatiques
- Catherine Magnant (France) – Independent expert, former Head of Cultural Policy at the European Commission
- Patrick Penot (France) – Founder and former Director of the Sens Interdits Association
- Frédéric Poty (France) – Artistic Advisor and Project Manager at La Manufacture Avignon
- Paul Rondin (France) – Director of the Cité internationale de la langue française
- Pascal Keiser (Belgium/France) – Jury Secretary, founder and former president of La Manufacture , chief curator of Bourges – European Capital of Culture 2028
The Václav Havel Prize is supported by Czech Cultural Institute (NIK) , Perform Czech , the City of Prague , the City of Brno and the South Moravian Region . Moser Crystal is the partner for the trophy.
Tereza TOUTAIN NOVAKOVA
Email: novakova@czechcentres.cz
Tel. +33 1 53 73 00 35 / Port. +33 6 33 76 62 04
For more information, consult the webpage of the event Soirée en hommage à Václav Havel .
About the Czech Centre in Paris
The Czech Centre in Paris promotes Czech culture and the creative industries in France and fosters international dialogue. As a key player in Czech-French relations, it organises a wide range of cultural events and actively supports international cooperation, artist mobility and the teaching of the Czech language.
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Centre tchèque de Paris
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