Having studied directing under Igor Ciel, Mr Náhlík graduated at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica in 2002. He was with the Literature and Drama centre of the Slovak Radio (today the Department of Literature and Drama Production of the Slovak Radio) in Banská Bystrica where he directed a number of radio plays (R. Lichnerová: The Story of One Life, 2003; L. Kerata: Drops or On a Tree Leaf, 2004; K. Horák: Rust, 2004; D. Gombár: Hugo Karas, 2006 etc.). He debuted at the Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen in 2001 with the production of the Miro Gavran play Loves of George Washington. As director he made a number of productions for children and youth (H. Ch. Andersen: The Little Mermaid, 2001; L. Kerata: Dinner Above the City, 2002; R. Mankovecký: Goldfish, 2003), having participated in some as author (Sleeping Beauty, 2004; The Triple Rose, 2005). Since 2007 he is artistic and stage director at The Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov. In addition to his home stage, as guest director he collaborates with a number of Slovak theatres (Theatre Nová scéna, The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra, Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin, Puppet Theatre at the Crossroads in Banská Bystrica, State Theatre Košice).
Michal Náhlík’s signature style:
Mr Náhlík is member of the younger generation of contemporary stage directors specialising in drama. His works is closely connected to The Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov. He has no genre or thematic focus. On the one hand, he seeks small-scale stories that speak of human soul (T. Williams: A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, 2005; A. P. Chekhov: The Seagull, 2011; J. Sibre: Feast of Predators, 2015) that offer a mirror to the present-day. A significant portion of Mr Náhlík´s work is linked to musicals, either grand productions epitomised by visual grandeur, or chamber productions. Here he features as stage director and often as author of the libretto or lyrics (G. Dušík, V. Klimáček, P. Uličný: Marie Antoinette, 2009; M. Náhlík, R. Mankovecký, J. Haško: Sherlock Holmes, 2013; M. Náhlík, R. Mankovecký, M. Husovský: Joan of Arc, 2015; M. Náhlík, M. Husovský, V. Mikula: Nikola Šuhaj, the Robber, 2017). He also engages in works for children and youth making the most of his potential of detachment, wit, playfulness and satire (F. Vlček, Z. Bořivoj: The Incredibly Sad Princess, 2008; O. Preussler, R. Mankovecký, M. Náhlík: The Little Witch, 2009; U. Hub: Three Penguins, 2010; M. Náhlík: The Snow Queen, 2014).
Along with the classics, he also reaches for their new interpretation, adapting them to the present day and contemporary society. Hence, he often resolutely steps into the interpretation of the staged text, adding contemporary interpretative element to the titles (J. Anouilh: Medea, 2007; F. Lyman Braun: The Wizard of Oz, 2011; J. Záborský: The Peculiar Death of Starling the Peasant, 2012; F. Dürrenmatt: The Visit, 2013).
Mr Náhlík tends towards synthetic theatre. In his productions he emphasises visual and musical aspects that are always equal to acting. He works with a permanent creative team – the costume designer Lenka Kadlečíková, set designer Anitou Szökeová, and musicians Juraj Haško and Martin Husovský.
A list of directorial works – productions:
2001 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Miro Gavran: Loves of George Washington
2001 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Hans Christian Andersen, Michal Náhlík: The Little Mermaid
2002 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Ladislav Kerata: Dinner Above the City
2002 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Ľubomír Feldek: Death in Pink
2002 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Edmond Rostand: Cyrano de Bergerac
2002 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / New Year’s Eve night at the theatre “Cabaret Femme fatale“
2003 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Hans Christian Andersen, Michal Náhlík: The Princess and the Pea or How Long, Broad, and Sharpsight Almost Became Princesses
2003 / The Slovak National Uprising Theatre, Martin / Róbert Mankovecký: Goldfish
2004 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Miro Gavran: Forget Hollywood
2004 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Michal Náhlík: Sleeping Beauty
2005 / Theatre Dance Studio, Banská Bystrica / Zuzana Hájková: Black Cat
2005 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Tennessee Williams: A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur
2005 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Michal Náhlík: Staged readings – A Night with the Latest Books by the K. K. Bagala Publishers III
2005 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Michal Náhlík: The Triple Rose
2006 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Vinko Möderndorfer: The Tree Sisters
2006 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Michal Náhlík: It Will Be a Nice Funeral
2006 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Carlo Collodi: Pinocchio
2006 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Tom Kempinski: Duet for One/ Pavel Kohout: Cyanide at Five
2006 / Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica / Flexible Words or Dramatic Reading on the Move – In Bystrica Alive and in Heaven after Death
2007 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / David Mamet, Michal Náhlík: Edmond
2007 / The Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre in Zvolen / Jean Anouilh: Medea
2007 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Gabriela Preissová, Michal Náhlík: Her Stepdaughter
2007 / State Theatre Košice / Federico García Lorca: The House of Bernarda Alba
2008 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / István Örkény: Cat Game
2008 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / František Vlček, Zeman Bořivoj: The Incredibly Sad Princess
2008 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Ödön von Horváth: Faith, Hope and Charity
2009 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Ray Cooney: Funny Money
2009 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Otfried Preussler, Róbert Mankovecký, Michal Náhlík: The Little Witch
2009 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Gabo Dušík, Viliam Klimáček, Peter Uličný: Marie Antoinette
2010 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Patrick Marber: Don Juan in Soho
2010 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Ulrich Hub: Three Penguins
2011 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Frank Lyman Braun, Michal Náhlík, Róbert Mankovecký: The Wizzard of Oz
2011 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Anton Chekhov: The Seagull
2012 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Jonáš Záborský, Miriam Kičiňová: The Peculiar Death of Starling the Peasant
2012 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Tracy Letts: Killer Joe
2012 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Willy Russell: Blood Brothers
2012 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Carlo Goldoni: The Witty Widow
2013 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Friedrich Dürrenmatt: The Visit
2013 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Michal Náhlík, Róbert Mankovecký, Juraj Haško: Sherlock Holmes
2014 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Peter Shaffer: Amadeus
2014 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Michal Náhlík: The Snow Queen
2015 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Joe Masteroff, John Kander, Fred Ebb: Cabaret
2015 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Peter Schaffer: Equus
2015 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Vahé Katcha, Julien Sibre: Feast of Predators
2015 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Michal Náhlík, Róbert Mankovecký, Martin Husovský: Joan of Arc
2016 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Nikolai Gogol: The Government Inspector
2016 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Mikhail Bulgakov: Heart of a Dog
2017 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Alexei Tolstoy, Michal Náhlík: Extraordinary Adventures of Little Buratino
2017 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Michal Náhlík, Martin Husovský, Viliam Mikula: Nikola Šuhaj, the Robber
2018 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Martin McDonagh: Hangmen
2018 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Michal Náhlík (based on the Brothers Grimm): Little Red Riding Hood
2019 / The Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields: The Play That Goes Wrong
Foreign languages: English
Contact: nahlik@djz.sk
Videos from productions:
MARIE ANTOINETTE, 2009
archive of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/gn4cpui1cnU
THE PECULIAR DEATH OF ŠKOREC THE PEASANT, 2012
archive of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/TtIDMBmIXr0
CABARET, 2015
archive of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/OHpRPM1DoXw
