Marek Cpin

Head stage designer of the Na zábradlí Theatre since the 2013/2014 season.

One of the leading contemporary Czech set and costume designers. He has collaborated for many years with director Jan Mikulášek and has contributed to the visual design of many of his productions at the Na zábradlí Theatre and other Czech theatres. In addition to his work in theatre, he also works in film, television, and opera. He has created more than two hundred set and costume designs for theatres in the Czech Republic as well as abroad.

His work is characterized by an emphasis on striking imagery, stylization, and the integration of costumes with the overall visual concept of a production. In addition to drama, he regularly collaborates with opera houses, including the National Theatre in Prague, the National Theatre Brno, and the Slovak National Theatre. He has also maintained long-term collaborations with directors Jan Frič, Martin Františák, Daniela Špinar, Anna Davidová, and others.

Marek Cpin has received numerous awards and nominations for his set and costume design work. In 2010 (Macbeth), 2011 (The Agony of Embarrassment), and 2013 (Golden Sixties), he was nominated for the Alfréd Radok Award in the Best Set Design category. He is the recipient of the Theatre Critics’ Award for Best Set Design for the productions Hedonists (2014), Woodcutters (2018), and Dictionary of the Khazars (2023). He has been nominated three times for the Czech Lion Award for Best Costume Design, for the film Delight (2013), the fairy tale Watchmaker’s Apprentice (2019), and the film Broken Voices (2025).

In addition to set design, he has also worked in fashion and the media; he is the set designer for the international Designblok design festival and has collaborated closely with the Hermès fashion house for many years.

The Na zábradlí Theatre and Me
Na zábradlí is my theatrical home. I don’t think I’ll ever experience such a close relationship with any theatre ever again, and I feel very fortunate to be able to be a part of this place for a while, to be with the people on stage and behind the scenes, and to observe the audience’s reactions. Zábradlí is an exceptional place because it’s small, human, focused, and safe. And that’s why it’s possible to create such great productions there.