PERFORMANCE DETAIL

Stage director Vojtěch Štěpánek
Translator Iva Michňová

Smart comedy, sharp provocation, and characters straight out of The Young Pope—for the first time on the Czech stage!

A small German diocese is preparing for the most important event in its 700-year history. The Pope himself has chosen it as the final destination on his tour. “The best for last! He’ll come, visit, greet us, say mass, and bless our relic—the finger of Saint Ignatius.” At least, that’s how the diocese’s two top clerics envisage the situation. Everything must be perfect, every detail flawless. And above all: no scandals! But just a few days before the papal visit, a young student named Emma appears with a shocking revelation. Suddenly, ambitious Bishop Konrad Glöckner and scheming Vicar Helmut Koch must do everything in their power to keep a scandal from erupting. Everything.

The Cardinal Error is a biting comedy about hypocrisy and the abuse of power in the Catholic Church. With equal parts wit and bite, the play asks how far people will go to preserve the institutions—and privileges—they hold dear. Beaton and Jacobs tackle serious themes through sharp dialogue and pitch-perfect situational comedy. Behind the laughter, the audience is left to consider: Can tradition go so far that it borders on absurdity? And isn’t it time for a change?

Czech premiere on 8 November 2025 at Theatre “12”