The Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater (Ukrainian: Національний академічний драматичний театр імені Івана Франка, romanized: Natsionalnyi akademichnyi dramatychnyi teatr imeni Ivana Franka), located in Kyiv, was founded in 1920.

The repertoire basis of the first seasons was the performances of the Young Theater: "Flooded Bell" by Gerhart Hauptmann, "Molodist" by M. Galbe, "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles.

Volodymyr Vynnychenko, having watched the performances of Hnat Yura at the Young Theater, brought him the play "The Sin" for production.

A conspicuous fact in the struggle for existence was the performance of Hnat Yura at "The Marriage of Figaro" premiere in Vinnytsia, which was attended by the representatives of the Government of the UPR.

His talent of the artist, deep knowledge and the sense of theatrical space especially became useful in the extreme conditions of the first decade of the existence of the collective.

One can only imagine how and where the actors were traveling through mines, factories and workers' settlements with a repertoire consisting of "Forest Song", "Sheep's Well", "At the bottom", "Haydamaky" and "The Marriage of Figaro" for six months on the tracks, and even on foot.

The play was performed in a huge park, on a bright sunny hot day, without any scenery, the actors were wearing only fabulous stage outfits created by Matthew Drake.

The following masterpieces of the national and world classics were produced: "The Marriage of Figaro" by Beaumarchais, "Adventures of the Bright Soldier Schweik" by Jaroslav Hašek, "Vanity" by I. Karpenko-Kariy, "Don Carlos" by Friedrich Schiller, "Boris Godunov" by Alexander Pushkin.

The classics kept on saving the theater from degradation: Yura was working on updated versions of "Martin Borulli", "Auditor", "Shvejk", which had been his mascot since 1928.

B. Nord, B. Tyagn, B. Balaban, V. Vasiliev, M. Krushelnytsky, V. Ivchenko, V. Gakkebusch worked at the theater in the postwar period; V. Ogloblin, V. Krainichenko, V. Kharchenko – since the 1950s; D. Aleksidze, V. Sklyarenko, D. Lyzogub, B. Meshkis, O. Barseghyan, D. Tchaikovsky, P. Morozenko, S. Korkoshko – since the 1960s, S. Smiyan and others – since the 1970s.

Scenography and music solutions of the plays have traditionally been and remain a strong point of the creative work of Franko Theater.

Here he introduced the Ukrainian stage to the drama of Friedrich Dürrenmatt, G. Ibsen, introduced the moral and aesthetic circle of the Ukrainian theater to A. Chekhov (in 1980, the performance "Uncle Vanya" was awarded the State Prize of the USSR), repeatedly appealed to the drama of William Shakespeare, found proper, nervously penetrating forms of stage reading of Mykola Khvylovy's prose.

The story of Tevye the Milkman, with which the whole world was familiar, acquired the status of a cosmic narrative about the search for the harmony of being (Tevye-Tevel by Sholem Aleichem 1993 – Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine).

Continuing and developing the traditions estqablished by the glorious predecessors – the founder of the theater G. Yura and the long-term creative fellow S. Danchenko – Bohdan Stupka introduced the names, which were unusual for Ukraine, to the repertoire, including the classics of Ukrainian literature by G. Skovoroda ("The Primer of the World"), G. Konysky ("Tragedo Comedy about the Resurrection of the Dead"); introduced the ancient Indian culture ("Shyakundala" by Kalidasa), the work of the Polish classic of the 20th century S. Vitkevich ("Mom, or Unspecified Creation ..."); brought Sophocles and Fyodor Dostoevsky ("Oedipus Rex" "The Brothers Karamazov") back on stage.

Directors Petro Ilchenko, Yuriy Odinoky, Andriy Prykhodko, Dmitry Chiropyuk, David Petrosyan work full-time at the theater.

However, it was from his stage that Ukrainian viewers were introduced to World Classics: "King Lear", "A Lot of Noise in Vain" and "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, "Boris Godunov" by Alexander Pushkin, "The Philistine nobleman" by Molière, "Oedipus Tsar" by Sophocles, "Uncle Vanya" and "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov.

The performances of recent years are as follows: "Kaidash’s family" by I.Nechoyu-Levytsky, "On Sunday morning the potion was digging", "Earth" by O.Kobilyanska and "Crossroads" by I.Franko, "Idiot" by F. Dostoevsky, "Coriolan", "The Taming of the Stomach" and "Richard III" by William Shakespeare, "Frederick or the Boulevard of Crimes" by E. Shmitt, "Greek Zorba" by N. Kazandzakis, Beaumarchais "The Marriage of Figaro", "The Anthem of Democratic Youth" S. Zadana, A. Chekhov's "Seagull", "Morituri te salutant" based on Stefanik's novels, Peter Kwilter's "The incomparable", and Gregory Horin's "Kean IV ".

Among the theatre directors who have staged productions at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater are Hnat Jura, Borys Balaban, Valery Vasylyev, Maryan Krushelnytsky, Charlotte Varshaver, Volodymyr Ohloblin, Danchenko, Andriy Zholdak, Dmytro Bohomazov, Dmytro Cherepiuk, Yuriy Odynoky, Petro Ilchenko, Stanislav Moiseyev, David Petrosyan, Ivan Uryvsky, Taras Zhyrko, Roman Markholia, Valentín Kozmenko-Delinde, Diana Stein, Andriy Mai, Kateryna Stepankova, Serhiy Masloboishykov, Avtandil Varsemashvili, Tetyana Arkushenko, Jokubas Brazis, Brzhetyslav Rykhlik, and Thomas Mettler.

The theater troupe is considered to be the best in Ukraine, the actors of the theater are such artists as Vasily Basha, Bohdan Benyuk, Alexey Bogdanovich, Anatoly Gnatyuk, Iryna Doroshenko, Alexander Zadneprovsky, Vladimir Kolyada, Polina Lazova, Vasily Mazur, Peter Panchuk, Alexey Petukhov, Dmitry Rybalevsky, Lyudmila Smorodina, Ostap Stupka, Natalia Sumskaya, Anatoly Khostikoev, Galina Yablonskaya.