Hvar City Theatre Days, Vol. 52 No. 1, 2026.
Original scientific paper
The Theatrical Transformations of Krležaʼs The Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh
Drita Maroshi
orcid.org/0000-0002-1992-2481
Abstract
Soon after its publication, Krležaʼs poetry collection The Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh
proved malleable to transformation into other forms of artistic expression and media,
as attested by the ensuing publications of the work and the attention dedicated to their
cover art, layout design and illustrations, as well as the works of visual art (sculptures and
paintings), animated film, and music that predated the theatrical adaptations of the work.
Although the poetic idiom, rather than the dramatic one, is formative for The Ballads, the
dramatic element of the work—and, consequently, their theatricality—was often emphasised,
even as, in the theatre, they were mostly performed as recitals, with or without musical
accompaniment. The paper notes that the character of Petrica Kerempuh has its own theatrical
history, independent of the Ballads. Certain dramatic and theatrical characteristics
of The Ballads proved propitious for the two theatrical performances analysed herein: the
first adaptation of the work, directed by Mladen Škiljan, in the Croatian National Theatre
in 1969, and its second adaptation, directed by Rade Šerbedžija, in Zagrebʼs Teatar &TD
in 1976. The paper discusses the characteristics of the theatrical embodiments of Krležaʼs
poetic world, represented by these two performances, and establishes the innovativeness
of the directorsʼ approaches. Following a summary overview of the more recent theatrical
adaptations of Krležaʼs The Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh (staged since the 2000s), the
conclusion underscores the importance of the performances of The Ballads in the context
of the Croatian theatre and its Kajkavian offshoot.
Keywords
The Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh; Miroslav Krleža; intermediality; theatre; Mladen Škiljan; Rade Šerbedžija; Kajkavian theatre
Hrčak ID:
347159
URI
Publication date:
6.5.2026.
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