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Václav Havel led Czechoslovakia to democracy and remains perhaps the best known Czech political figure of modern times. But before spearheading the Velvet Revolution, he was of course a world-renowned playwright. History interrupted Havel’s original career for two decades, but now the former president has returned to drama, with the long-awaited premiere of his new play Leaving taking place in Prague later this month. To discuss the work of Václav Havel, I recently went to New York University to meet academic Carol Rocamora, author of the 2005 book

The wife of the former Czech president Václav Havel Dagmar Havlová will not star in the premiere of his new play “Leaving” (Odcházení) which is to premiere in Prague’s Archa Theatre on May 22. Mr. Havel originally wrote the leading female role for his wife Dagmar and insisted on her getting the part, but a spokeswoman for the theatre said the former first lady was severely overworked and was forced to cut back on her activities.

“Leaving” has been dogged by problems ever since it was published. It was originally to be staged by the National Theatre but negotiations failed after the theatre refused to cast Dagmar Havlová in the lead role. The project was also turned down by Divadlo Na Vinohradech due to a lack of money. The first foreign premiere of Leaving will take place in London’s Orange Theatre on September 19.

Thirty years ago, on April 24th, 1978, seventeen Czechoslovak citizens got together and decided to form an organisation called VONS – the Committee for the Defence of the Unjustly Prosecuted. The organisation’s aim was to monitor and publicise cases of people unlawfully prosecuted by the Communist regime. Within a year, five VONS members – including Václav Havel, Petr Uhl and Jiří Dienstbier – had themselves been sent to prison, an act that received worldwide condemnation. On Tuesday former VONS members gathered for a seminar at the Senate to mark

The former Czech president Václav Havel is in Brussels on Tuesday to launch a new pan-European human rights initiative called the European Foundation for Democracy through Partnership (EFDP). Mr Havel, who spent years in prison as a dissident in the Communist era, is now spearheading a campaign to make it easier for democracy and human rights advocacy groups to access European funds. One of the members of the EFDP’s board is Šimon Pánek, director of the Czech NGO People in Need. We spoke to him earlier by telephone.

Rehearsals for Václav Havel’s new play Leaving kicked off at Prague’s Archa Theatre last week, with the world premiere slated for May 22. The work is Mr Havel’s play in 18 years after an amazing career in politics, so it’s not surprising it is being greeted with excitement. Now it has also been announced that the Orange Tree Theatre in London will stage the English-language premiere of Leaving this autumn.

Václav Havel’s new play Leaving is to be performed at London’s Orange Tree Theatre in September, Lidové noviny reported. The play is currently in rehearsal in Prague ahead of its world, Czech-language premiere on May 22. The London premiere will mark the beginning of a season of plays by Mr Havel which will run until December. Václav Havel was a noted playwright and dissident before becoming president of Czechoslovakia after the Velvet Revolution. Leaving is his first new play in two decades.

Tickets went on sale for former president Václav Havel’s much anticipated new play ‘Odcházení’ (‘Leaving’) on Monday. The first rehearsals of the production also got underway at Prague’s Divadlo Archa. The play will be premiered on May 22, with subsequent performances on the 23 and 24. The premiere was originally expected to have taken place much sooner, but production of the play was delayed when negotiations with several theatres broke down. Talks with the National Theatre collapsed in part over Mr Havel’s insistence that his wife play the female lead. The play was also withdrawn from the capital’s Divadlo na Vinohradech, before finding a home at Divadlo Archa.

Former president Václav Havel’s new play ‘Odcházení’ or ‘Leaving’ will be premiered on May 22 at Prague’s Divadlo Archa, it was announced on Tuesday. The play is Mr Havel’s first after a gap of nearly two decades. Several other Prague theatres had been named as possible locations for the play, but negotiations failed for various reasons. Talks with the National Theatre collapsed in part over Mr Havel’s insistence that his wife play the female lead. The play was also withdrawn from the capital’s Divadlo na Vinhradech, with technical difficulties being cited as the reason.

Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has come out strongly against plans by the US to site a radar base in the Czech Republic – as part of a broader missile defense system in Europe. In an interview for public broadcaster Czech TV on Monday, the former Soviet leader questioned the system was being planned against rogue states like Iran, saying on the contrary it was aimed against Russia and China. His views contrasted those of former Czech president Václav Havel who appeared on the same show. He defended the project – calling it a “first chance”

Ex-president Václav Havel said in an interview for Czech public television on Monday that the Czech Republic should meet Washington’s request for the US to be able to deploy a tracking radar on Czech territory since the country had always been a good ally. Mr. Havel said Czechs had a lot to thank the United States for, since independent Czechoslovakia would most likely not have been established without US support, not would the Iron Curtain have been lifted without its influence. The ex-president rejected a claim made by the former Soviet president Michail Gorbachev who said the US radar would clearly be directed against Russia. “A radar is not directed against anyone, it is part of a defense system,” Mr. Havel countered.