Swan Lake in selected scenes
The whole story of Odette and Siegfried, danced to Tchaikovsky's score in the Broadway Theatre, 105 minutes including an interval.
Is it the full ballet?
Is the Best of Swan Lake in Prague the full ballet?
The short answer
No. It tells the whole story of Swan Lake in a selection of scenes, in 105 minutes with a 15-minute interval, so it is a highlights production and not a full-length staging. The booking page rates it 3.9 out of 5 from more than 2,100 reviews: travellers praise the expressive lead, and some wanted clearer information about the modest venue. It suits a first Swan Lake, a short trip and a ballet night that does not take the whole evening.
- 01
What you are buying
A performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in the Broadway Theatre on Na Příkopě. The booking page names top dancers and soloists of leading Czech groups, with Prague National Theatre soloists in its description, and notes that much of the Swan Lake we know today comes from an 1895 revision by Petipa and Ivanov.
- 02
What you will not get
A full company on a national stage. The summary of reviews on the booking page says some travellers wanted clearer information about the modest venue and the recorded music, so expect a small theatre and not an opera house. The ticket covers admission, a cloakroom and booster seats for children, so plan dinner around it.
- 03
Who it suits
Travellers who know the story or want to learn it, couples and families with children over three, and anyone on a short trip who wants ballet without a late night. One reviewer advises reading the story beforehand so the scenes make sense, and the acts section below is written for that.
The essentials, in four lines
- Where
- Broadway Theatre, Na Příkopě 988/31, Prague 1.
- Format
- The whole story of Swan Lake in a selection of scenes.
- Length
- 105 minutes including a 15-minute interval.
- Rating
- 3.9 out of 5 from 2,113 reviews on the booking page.
The story, act by act
The story in four acts
Wikipedia says Swan Lake is generally presented in either four acts or, mainly in Russia and Eastern Europe, three acts and four scenes. This production tells the whole story in a selection of scenes, so what you see is drawn from the four parts below.
- Act I
A birthday in the palace park
Prince Siegfried celebrates his birthday with his tutor, his friends and the villagers. His mother tells him he must choose a bride at a ball the next evening, and he is unhappy that he cannot marry for love. At dusk his friend Benno sees swans overhead, and the friends set off with crossbows to hunt them.
- Act II
The moonlit lake
Siegfried reaches a clearing by a lake and watches a swan turn into a young woman, Odette. She explains that the sorcerer Rothbart has cursed her and her companions: they are swans by day and human only at night. Only someone who has never loved before, and who swears to love her for ever, can break the spell. Siegfried breaks his crossbow, and the two fall in love before dawn.
- Act III
The ball and the black swan
Six princesses are presented to Siegfried at the ball. Rothbart arrives in disguise with his daughter Odile, who has been made to look like Odette, and Siegfried has eyes only for her. He declares that he will marry her, and then Rothbart shows him a vision of Odette. Siegfried sees his mistake and hurries back to the lake.
- Act IV
By the lakeside
Siegfried begs Odette's forgiveness. She forgives him, but his betrayal cannot be undone, and rather than stay a swan for ever she chooses to die. He chooses to die with her, and their sacrifice breaks Rothbart's spell. Endings differ from one company to the next, and Wikipedia says some productions now give the story a happy ending.
Roles
Odette and Odile
Wikipedia says it is now common for one ballerina to dance both Odette, the white swan, and Odile, Rothbart's daughter, who appears only in act three. The cast list on the booking page also gives both roles to the same names, with Prince Siegfried, Rothbart, the Prince's Mother and a Clown beside them.
Score
Tchaikovsky and Drigo
Tchaikovsky wrote the score in 1875 and 1876, and the first production opened at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1877. After his death Riccardo Drigo revised the score for the 1895 revival, and Wikipedia says that most ballet companies use Drigo's revision and not Tchaikovsky's original.
The booking page warns that the programme is subject to change, so read this as the story and not as the running order of your night.
Is it the full ballet?
This evening beside a full-length staging
This eveningA full-length staging
Story The whole story in a selection of scenes Every scene of the chosen version
Length 105 minutes with a 15-minute interval Usually four acts, or three acts and four scenes
Stage The Broadway Theatre, a modern theatre built from a cinema The National Theatre's ballet performs in the National Theatre, the State Opera and the Estates Theatre
Suits A first Swan Lake or a short stay Travellers who want a full company and the whole score
The night, step by step
From Na Příkopě to the final curtain
Dates in the calendar come with start times, and your confirmation repeats the one you chose.
- 01 Arrive
Find the Broadway Theatre
The booking page sends you to the Broadway Theatre at Na Příkopě 988/31 in the Old Town. The theatre lies under the Broadway arcade, a passage between Na Příkopě and Celetná. One French reviewer found the venue poorly signposted, so find the arcade entrance on a map before the evening.
- 02 Settle
Cloakroom and seats
The ticket includes a cloakroom and booster seats for children. One reviewer bought VIP seats to be sure of a good view, and another needed help from an attendant to find their row, so leave time to be shown to your seat.
- 03 Watch
A hundred and five minutes
The performance runs 105 minutes including a 15-minute interval, and neither flash photography nor video recording is permitted. There is no dress code, although elegant dress is welcomed.
- 04 After
Na Příkopě at night
After the show you step out onto Na Příkopě, which Wikipedia calls a street linking Wenceslas Square with Republic Square; Můstek metro station lies at its Wenceslas Square end. The arcade's other end opens onto Celetná, which Wikipedia says runs from the Old Town Square to the Powder Gate.
What admission includes
What the ticket settles
Six practical points worth reading before you choose a date.
- Seats
- Seat options appear once you pick a date. One reviewer bought VIP seats to be sure of a good view.
- Length
- 105 minutes including a 15-minute interval, with the start time beside each date.
- Dress
- No dress code, although elegant dress is welcomed.
- Children
- The booking page lists children under 3 as not suitable and includes booster seats for children.
- Photos
- Neither flash photography nor video recording is permitted.
- Access and extras
- Wheelchair access and a cloakroom are listed. The ticket is an admission ticket, so food and drink are your own plan.
The theatre, the street and the ballet's past
The stage, the street and the archive
A Swan Lake scene at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Tchaikovsky in 1888, the Broadway arcade on Na Příkopě, its entrance on Celetná, the Sevastopol cinema in 1958 and the State Opera in Prague. None of these photographs shows the performance on this page.
Four ways to spend the evening
Swan Lake, and three more Prague evenings
The first card is the Swan Lake performance this site covers. The other three sit beside it: The Nutcracker at the same theatre, an evening cruise on the water and a guided tour of the Klementinum library and tower.
The Nutcracker, same theatre
Tchaikovsky's Christmas ballet in the same theatre and at the same length, the lighter choice when the family comes along.
An evening cruise on the river
A 50-minute sightseeing cruise after dark, with Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and Kampa Island seen from the water.
The Klementinum library and tower
A 45-minute guided tour of the Baroque Library Hall, the Meridian Hall and the Astronomical Tower.
Other Prague outings to book
Getting there, getting in
How to get there, and what to carry
The place
The theatre stands at Na Příkopě 988/31. Wikipedia says Na Příkopě separates the Old Town from the New Town and runs along the line of a medieval moat.
The arcade
The Czech Wikipedia article on the theatre says it lies in the Broadway palace, which joins Na Příkopě and Celetná. Use the Na Příkopě entrance on your map.
Public transport
Můstek metro station, which Wikipedia places under the lower end of Wenceslas Square, is where Na Příkopě begins; a map app will show the short walk to the theatre address.
Start time
Every date in the calendar lists its start time, and the confirmation email repeats it.
Arriving
Leave time to find your row. One reviewer needed an attendant's help, and another found the venue poorly signposted from the street.
What to bring
Leave a coat in the cloakroom and keep your phone's flash off. Nothing else is needed, and there is no dress code.
If plans change
Cancelling more than a day ahead costs nothing, and the bill can wait until you are nearer the date.
Further reading on the ballet
Six guides to Swan Lake in Prague
- Start here
Best of Swan Lake in Prague: worth it?
Is the Best of Swan Lake in Prague the full ballet? A plain answer on the 105-minute show: its format, its rating, its theatre and who should book. Read the whole piece → - The choice
Swan Lake or The Nutcracker in Prague?
Swan Lake or The Nutcracker at the same Prague theatre: the stories, the length, the season, who each suits and how the two booking pages compare. Read the whole piece → - The story
Swan Lake, act by act
The story of Swan Lake in four acts, who Odette, Odile and Rothbart are, how the ending changes between productions and how to follow a highlights show. Read the whole piece → - The venue
The Broadway Theatre on Na Příkopě
Where the Prague Swan Lake is danced: the Broadway arcade between Na Příkopě and Celetná, the cinema before it, the hall and how to find the entrance. Read the whole piece → - History
Swan Lake's Prague connection
A Prague-born choreographer staged the first Swan Lake, and the National Theatre danced its lakeside act for Tchaikovsky in 1888. Read the whole piece → - Practical
Seats, children and what to wear
Practical answers for the Prague Swan Lake: which seat, whether children can go, what to wear, the cloakroom, photographs and the walk home. Read the whole piece →
FAQ
Questions before you book a ballet night
Is the Best of Swan Lake in Prague the full ballet?
No. It tells the whole story in a selection of scenes, in 105 minutes with a 15-minute interval. It is a highlights production and not a full-length staging.
Is it worth seeing?
It is worth it for a first Swan Lake, a short trip or a ballet night that does not take all evening. The booking page rates it 3.9 out of 5 and praises the lead performance. If you want a full company on a grand stage, it is the wrong ticket.
Where is it held?
In the Broadway Theatre at Na Příkopě 988/31, in the Old Town, under the Broadway arcade that joins Na Příkopě and Celetná.
Who dances?
The booking page names top dancers and soloists of leading Czech groups, with Prague National Theatre soloists in its description. It also lists a cast for Odette and Odile, Prince Siegfried, Rothbart and the Prince's Mother.
Do I need to know the story?
No, but one reviewer advises reading about the ballet first so the scenes make sense. The four-act summary on this page takes two minutes.
Is there a dress code?
No. The booking page says there is no dress code, although elegant dress is welcomed.
Can children go?
Children aged 3 and over can. The booking page lists children under 3 as not suitable and includes booster seats for children.
Can I cancel?
Yes: cancel until the day before without being charged, or hold a date now and pay later.
Swan Lake's whole story, danced in selected scenes at a Prague theatre on Na Příkopě.
Book Swan Lake in Prague ↗The calendar converts the price into your own currency once you open it.