A Night at the Opera: Panoptiko Shakes the Theater Curtains at DEPO in Plzeň
In April of the year of our Lord 2026 — on Friday the 13th, no less — an opera arrived in Plzeň at the local cultural venue DEPO2015. And not just any opera: this one was brought to local archfans by the group Panoptiko.
Panoptiko is an arch-mighty five-member ensemble. At the helm stands Lord Panoptik, joined by Baron von Telephon, Segňor Farkas, Don Balkoni, and Dr. Konektor. All the members first took their seats at a long table draped in a black cloth, their striking red costumes standing out vividly. Soon a line of gentlemen, ladies, and young pages formed in front of them — many dressed in suits or masks fitting for this operatic rock spectacle. Thus the evening began, with the archrockers devotedly signing everything from photos, tickets, CDs, and vinyl records to hats, T-shirts, bare hands (and even a hand in a cast). Afterwards, they gladly posed for photos with fans before disappearing into the mysteries of the backstage to prepare for their operatic aria.
The hall slowly darkened, and everyone waited for the curtain to rise. At the stroke of eight, the speakers burst into Mein Herz brennt by Rammstein. When this powerful opening track ended, the curtain parted — and suddenly we found ourselves in what felt like a fully equipped theater hall.
Fans hardly knew where to look first. The stage design was truly original. On the sides of the stage hung drapes depicting empty theater boxes, while a large LED screen at the back projected visuals matching the themes of the songs. On both sides of the stage stood theatrical balconies, and in front of each were two additional LED screens set inside picture frames. The band's costumes were just as elaborate — during the set they even managed to swap their signature red outfits for darker black ones.
The entire performance was divided into three shorter acts, each separated by a mysterious "guide." Appearing on the back screen as a hooded digital figure, he addressed the audience between the individual parts of the show.
The first act opened with Noc v opeře (also the first track on their album Nirvana), followed by Mozartovy kule, Gilotina, and Nirvana itself. Afterwards, the "guide" spoke, thanking the audience for four years of Panoptiko's existence in our world, acknowledging the archfans who had come to witness the archopera, and inviting everyone to an endless ball.
The second act began with In Vino Veritas, followed by Vernisáž. Ayahuasca was not missing, Escobar made an appearance, we experienced Prokletý Marš, the saddest military march, and even met the Černá Mamba. Once again the "guide" took the floor, this time thanking the Monster Meeting event and the bands Traktor and Dymytry for giving Panoptiko their opportunity. Gratitude was also extended to ZL Production, the company that has taken the band under its wing.
Then came the final act. It opened with Ďábelský bál, during which the band had already changed into darker black costumes. Next came Štvanice, where even a hunting rifle made its appearance. Sancho Panza arrived, and we even paid a visit to the Parisian Moulin Rouge. With that, the curtain closed.
But the archfans were relentless and demanded more. Their applause earned them an encore of three songs: Dejte mi provaz, Poslední Tango, and finally the one about Countess Bathory. Only then was the performance truly over, with the curtain parting several more times so the band could receive their well-deserved applause.
Our thanks go to the band Panoptiko, the organizing company ZL Production, and the event itself, which truly has no equal here. It was not only musically impressive but also a visually captivating and highly original show. I'm grateful that I had the chance to experience this operatic rock theater.
Here's a small selection of photos — the rest can be found on our ZONERAMA page, as usual.
Šári