Theatre 199 "Valentin Stoychev"

Theatre 199 "Valentin Stoychev" is the most prestigious and snug "theatrical basement" for the production of chamber-sized plays in downtown Sofia, Bulgaria. A place favored by theatre-goers who appreciate “high carats” in dramatic art. In it the audience can enjoy the talent of the most prominent Bulgarian artists and experience memorable moments from the encounter with the magic of the stage. It is no coincidence that one of the something of the encapsulating sentences of the theater is "This can only happen in Theater 199!".

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Theater 199 was established on June 12th , 1965. It has one chamber hall. That which sets it apart from the very beginning is that it's the first theater in our country not to have a full-time creative troupe. For more than 55 years, more than 550 actors have appeared on its stage in more than 300 productions.

The repertoire policy of Theatre 199 is to present the best plays of contemporary Bulgarian and world playwrighting. It currently includes plays by Amy Herzog; Anatoly Krim; A. P. Chekhov; Nicholas Wright; Stefan Vogel; Donald Margulies; August Strindberg; David Lindsay-Aber; Tennessee Williams; Jordi Galceran; Christina Clemente; Jess, Adam Daniel; George Orwell, Tancred Dorst, Mika Myllyaho, John Logan, Joanna Murray-Smith.

Since 2003, the theater has held a competition for contemporary Bulgarian drama. It is name of the legendary actress Slavka Slavova.

Over the years, many of the most prestigious theater awards in Bulgaria to its creative teams and productions.

Theatre 199 realizes tours in Bulgaria and abroad. It is the first Bulgarian theatre to perform on Broadway in the USA with the play "A Minimal Amount of Pain" based on texts by Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski. Productions from the theatre's repertoire are often selected by the most prestigious national and international festivals.

Theatre 199 is also known as the "theatre of the footsteps" because of the space in front of its entrance, which is also an emblematic place for Sofia residents and guests of the capital. This walk of fame displays the footprints of some of the most famous Bulgarian artists who have acted on the stage of the "sacred basement".