It is strange these days in Split to watch arrival of events and different other things usually connected with colder days. That especially goes with a fact that I'm still (as well as many others) maintaining almost daily beach routine. To be honest, right now one of the biggest problems in Split is that beach towels dry slower. However, autumn will come eventually, and then even winter. What to do? How about theatre?

Croatian National Theatre Split starts its new season in just a few days, and it might be one of the most exciting in recent years. It offers interesting drama, opera and ballet premieres, along with standard repertoire, concerts and other events. Why don't you make it a part of your winter break in Split?

In case you can understand Croatian, there are no less than seven drama premieres produced by works of great names of Croatian and international literature. It all begins with "Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Italian classic Luigi Pirandello, followed by not less interesting "An Enemy of the People" by Henrik Ibsen, "Rhinoceros" by Eugene Ionesco, and "Clara Schumann" by Valeria Moretti. Among Croatian writers works CNT will produce "A Hole" by Živko Jeličić, premiered on this year's Split Summer Festival. Other expected premieres are "What Are We Waiting For?" by Marija Dukić, and "A Romance about Three Loves" by Croatian classic Antun Šoljan.

Opera program is smaller, but still more than interesting, especially for fans of Italian composers. Repertoire brings Giuseppe Verdi's "Ernani", Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly",  Georges Bizet's "Carmen", and Croatian classic "Ero From Another World" by Jakov Gotovac. Premieres are equally attractive. One of them is "La Forza del destino" by Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most important works composed by Italian maestro. The other one is local cult. It's operetta "Little Floramye" composed by Split-native Ivo Tijardović, a musical story about Split from one hundred years ago. People in Split truly love this play, and songs from Floramye are part of city's heritage.

Good news from ballet troupe, too. Besides several re-runs, we expect premieres like "On the Road", choreographed by Split ballet chief Igor Kirov, on music by Johann Sebastian Bach. This one will be followed by one of the oldest white ballets "La Sylphide" by Herman Severin Løvenskiold, filled with colourful Scottish dances and choreographed by Danish-American Karina Elver. The third one will by a joint work by three young, but acclaimed European choreographers Sascha Ephtimova, Igor Kirov and Stephen Delattre "East/West".