Ivan Vidić graduated dramaturgy at the Academy of Dramatic Art in 1991. He took part in the Croatian War of Independence, following which he started to pursue a career of a professional writer. He has written theatrical pieces, prose, as well as scripts for documentary and feature films. He is receiver of two Awards for the drama piece “Marin Držić” in 1998 and 2001. “At the Pearly Gates” is the final novel in his collection of novels entitled “Southern Country” published in 2013. According to his own words, the novels “were written to warm, scare, confuse and amuse the reader”. The plot of the novel “At the Pearly Gates” is situated in a bar of the same name, which is actually a time and place somewhere between the apocalypse and purgatory, thematising memories and contemplating human destinies.   

The story has been scene-adapted by Paolo Tišljarić, a Master’s student of Theartical Direction and Radiophonics at ADU in Zagreb, who has already achieved numerous independent directions and has assisted great directors such as Tomaž Pandur ( “Medea”, Croatian National Theatre and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival), Krešimir Dolenčić (“The Madwoman of Chaillot”, CNT and this year’s “Uncle Maroje” at the Festival), Oliver Frljić (“Matilde”, DK Dubrava), Aleksandar Popovski ( “Twelfth Night, or What You Will”, CNT) and others. Costumes for performers of “At the Pearly Gates”, actors Nika Burđelez, Marija Šegvić, Gloria Dubelj and Nikola Baće, were prepared by Doris Kristić.