writer
Graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava where he majored in theatre direction and dramaturgy in professor Ľubomír Vajdička’s 2004 class. His graduation work was the production of Fernand Crommelynck’s farce The Magnificent Cuckold for which he was nominated for the Dosky Award in the Discovery of the Season category in 2004. After he completed his studies, Žiška collaborated with many professional Slovak theatres as a director, writer, musician, lyricist or dramaturg (Slovak Chamber Theatre in Martin, Trnava Theatre, Radošina Naïve Theatre, LUDUS Theatre, Bratislava Puppet Theatre, among others). In 1996, together with director Jakub Nvota, he founded the cabaret ensemble The Wandering Theatre in which they have been working together until today. Žiška’s production And We Will Whisper (Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin, 2009) participated in the 4thDemoludy Theatre Festival in Olsztyn, Poland in 2010, and in the MittelFest festival in Cividale, Italy in 2011.

He is the laureate of several prestigious theatre prizes including DOSKY awards or the main Golden Gander Prize at the Kremnica Gags. In addition to professional theatre, he also works in amateur ensembles in Horná Streda and Modranka. At present, he does not have a permanent contract with any theatre. He keeps working as a guest artist for the most prominent theatre scenes all over Slovakia.

Kamil Žiška’s directorial work is characteristic for its strong tendency towards devised productions which interpret the biographies of intriguing Slovak and international personalities. The production And We Will Whisper (Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin), for example, uses memoirs to reflect on the life of Slovak female writers, while the production The Quieter Tone, the Better (Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin) looks at the life of Slovak writers through the content of their work. This line of work is made complete by the productions of Charlie Chaplin’s Black and White Heart, and Thou Shalt Not Take the Lord’s Name in Vain (about the destiny of the beatified Zdenka Cecília Schelingová) under the Slovak National Theatre’s project The Ten Commandments, as well as the production ...Your Ľudevít (about the life and work of Ľudovít Štúr). Although the “biographical” productions are based on the suggestive nature of specific realistic situations often offered by biographies, Žiška adroitly uses the historical material, lyricality and frequently also music devised for each concrete piece. He serves doses of strong themes from national history with peculiar serenity and does it with precision and a great deal of imagination. The music, which he composes himself, is functional, justified and creates a distinct atmosphere which sometimes directly underscores the actors’ performances. The synthesis of a devised text, direction and music, all set within a progressive staging, offers the audience an allegorical testimony about the world.

A striking part of Žiška's directorial work is connected with puppet theatre and productions for children and youth. In these genres, Žiška often takes on the role of the author, director and musician at the same time. His productions for children are generally typical for a well-structured story, dynamic plot, metaphorical quality, dominant visual elements and elaborated directorial concept. His fairy tale productions never lack kind humour that resonates not only with children, but also adult audiences. The humour is produced by means of the bizarre traits of Žiška's characters, often inspired by cabaret performances. In productions for children, Žiška focuses on the story, use of objects and play as a principle. In his dramatic work, on the other hand, his focus is on the actor and the penetration into the inner world of the characters, the uncovering of psychological situations and motivation for action.