This year the Radio Thalia goes to Libuše Švormová and Jana Klusáková enters the Hall of Fame
A tradition returned to Olomouc this week: the Prix Bohemia Radio international award festival. During its opening evening gala at the Moravian Philharmonic, Libuše Švormová received the Radio Thalia award for her performance as The Woman in the radio play Děti Pekla [Children of Hell]. And Czech Radio’s Director General René Zavoral inducted Jana Klusáková into the Radio Hall of Fame.
“For the last several years, Czech Radio’s Director General has had the honor – this year, my honor – of inducting major personalities from radio history into the Hall of Fame. This year their ranks will be joined by a true Great Woman of Radio, in heart and in spirit, a woman who celebrated an important birthday this year, and one who spent a full 67 years at Czechoslovak and then Czech Radio – Jana Klusáková,” stated René Zavoral, Director General of Czech Radio.
During this event – at which the festival’s new honorary president Igor Bareš made his first public appearance – Libuše Švormová was awarded the Radio Thalia by Actors’ Association president Ondřej Kepka for her performance as The Woman in the radio play Děti pekla [Children of Hell].
“I’m very glad to see the Radio Thalia fully gain a place among its stage-play brethren; after all, Czechs used to refer to ‘radio plays’ as ‘radio theater.’ But this year is absolutely unique, because something will happen that never has before. Tennis players can have doubles, and this year we can too. Throughout the 28 years of the Thalia Awards’ history, no-one has won two in one year before; this year the Radio Thalia is the second for the year – for Mrs. Libuše Švormová,” said Kepka while presenting the award.
V rozhlasovém monodramatu Děti pekla rakouské spisovatelky Gabriele Köglové v působivé interpretaci Libuše Švormové se posluchači z retrospektivního vyprávění životního příběhu postupně dozvídají, že si hlavní hrdinka prožila peklo, o kterém však celý život mlčela. Její dospělé děti však trvají na tom, že mají právo vědět, jaké jsou jejich kořeny.
In the radio monodrama Children of Hell by Austrian author Gabriela Köglová, listeners gradually learn, through Libuše Švormová’s forceful performance, that the heroine has been through a hell of which she has never spoken throughout her life. However, her children – now adults – insist they have the right to know what her roots are.
“I love radio in all its shapes, and I feel great – I’m reaping the fruits of my past labors in theater, and now in radio. Nowadays, all I’d be able to work my way up to is a Thalia for talents 18 and under,” Švormová quipped.
The gala opening for the 37th year of this international festival celebrated the memory of the actress – and former honorary festival president – Hana Maciuchová as well.
