Leading actor on the two-month closure of Serbia's National Theatre

In an exclusive interview with N1, Vuckovic described the mixed, largely negative emotions of performing his single show ("Master and Margarita") outside of his home theatre at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP) during the closure.

"I am angry that I am not performing in my own theatre, which is 'buzzing' empty because some people who have never been part of the artistic process, the Minister of Culture and the President of the Management Board, decided to close the theatre with the desire to 'discipline the actors'," Vuckovic stated.

He confessed to feeling envious of colleagues in other theatres who are maintaining their repertories and nurturing their audiences daily. He also expressed a profound sense of insecurity on stage, noting that every missed performance is a setback for an actor, leading to a loss of acting condition. "It is devastating for an actor not to have a regular repertoire and contact with the audience," he lamented.

Above all, he is deeply saddened that a small, apparently incompetent political group can arbitrarily open and close the theatre, and the artistic community seemingly lacks the immediate strength to stop it. He concludes that he channels these negative feelings into a great power that fuels his fight for the better society he believes in.

Vague management and the question of control

When questioned about official information regarding the reopening, Vuckovic revealed that the management is generally unresponsive to letters sent via the SINGLUS trade union. The few answers received have been "sparse and vague," pro forma, allowing the acting director to make decisions "on the fly" without firm dates. This lack of certainty has led the actors to believe the closure could be indefinite.

Vuckovic noted that while two new productions are being prepared, and an unofficial schedule exists, nothing has been formally announced. This environment raises a fundamental question: "Who decides whether a theatre will be or not (to be), that is the question now?"

Fire safety: A "spin" to silence dissent

The management’s official explanation for the closure has been alleged fire safety deficiencies. Vuckovic dismissed this as yet another "spin," consistent with the demagoguery of the ruling party to which the management belongs.

While acknowledging that work on the building's safety is necessary, as is true for many state institutions, he argued that these are not grounds for a complete shutdown. "If you enter the theatre building now, you will see that the fire safety work currently underway could be resolved in a couple of days without suspending regular performances and rehearsals," he said.

He recalled that when the Great Stage was damaged by fire in December 2012, the Ministry of Internal Affairs closed only that stage for one month, while the smaller stage continued its regular repertoire. Comparing a post-fire closure of one stage for a month in 2012 to a full building closure for two months due to prevention suggests that "perhaps something 'deeper is burning' that we do not know about."

Attacks on artists and the controversial rulebook

The management's actions, including the closure, are widely seen as retaliation for the actors' defiance against a new controversial rulebook intended to "silence" artists. The actors recently warned against the President of the Management Board, Dragoslav Bokan, who publicly questioned the engagement of young members, alleging they were hired "through connections."

Vuckovic strongly refuted Bokan's claims, specifically the assertion that 12 young people were admitted to the National Theatre only because they were "blockade participants." He pointed out that the biographies on the official website show that all 12 individuals were hired long before the blockades began.

The actor argued that autocratic powers want to silence actors and censor the theatre because the role of theatre is to raise the consciousness of the nation it serves. He observed that it is in the interest of the authorities that the people be "unconscious, silent, and do as they are told."

He asserted that the National Theatre, being the only one funded directly from the state budget and having the most employees, serves as a showcase exercise for other theatres on what will happen if they do not obey. He concluded that the rulebook itself is unconstitutional.

Despite the lack of progress on the reopening, Vučković believes change is happening through individual transformation and solidarity. He expressed his faith in the collective fight, emphasizing that the National Theatre is an institution for everyone.

"It is up to us, the employees of this institution, to fight with all our might against anyone who wants to destroy what our colleagues have built for more than a century and a half. The National is not, and will never become, the theatre of the Serbian Progressive Party. The National is the Nation's," Vuckovic concluded.