From the performance "Walking with Gogol" / photo credit: Stefan N. Shterev
Graduated from the Higher Institute of Theatre Arts "Kr. Sarafov" (NATFA) in 1991 in the class of Prof. Dimitrina Gurova and joined the troupe of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, where she played dozens of memorable roles, including Lizzie Curry in "The Rainmaker" by Nathaniel Richard Nash, Ann in "Marquise de Sade" by Yukio Mishima, Opera singer/Woman, waiting tram/Japanese in "Runaway Plane" by Kamen Donev, Hannah Jarvis in "Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard, Mary in "The Memory of Water" by Sheila Stevenson, Olivia in "Twelfth Night” and Hermiona in "The Winter’s Tale" by William Shakespeare, Lilyana Bochevska in "Francesca" by Konstantin Iliev, Angela in "The Deer King" by Carlo Gozzi, various characters in "The Rifle will Explode after the Intermission" after Chekhov, Fanny Wilton in "John Gabriel Borkman" by Henrik Ibsen, Kayra Hollis in "Skylight" by David Hare, Colomba in "Volpone" by Ben Johnson, Veronique Ulier in "The God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza, a Woman aged in the "Delhi Dance" by Ivan Viripaev and Varvara in "Useless man" by Maxim Gorky.
Among her popular roles in other theatres are: Charlotta in the "Chekhov Revue" after Anton Chekhov in the Nikolay Binev Youth Theatre, Sasha in "Ivanov" by Chekhov, and Diana in "Trainspotting" by Irvine Welsh in the National Palace of Culture, Katharine in "The Evidence" by David Auburn and character in "Little Play for children's room” by Yana Borisova in Theatre 199.
ASKEER Award 1997 for a Rising Star for Lizzie Curry's role in "The Rainmaker" by Nathaniel Richard Nash
Nomination for ASKEER Award 2017 for a leading female role for Veronique Ulier in "The God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza
Icarus Award 2021 for Supporting Actress for her role of Veronique Houllier in "A Capital(ist) Mistake" based on Ödön von Horváth
Nomination for ASKEER Award 2024 for a leading female role for Putin in "The Hague" by Sasha Denisova
During this season, on the stage of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, you can watch Radena Valkanova in the following performances: "Medea", "The Hague", "Useless Man", "The God of Carnage", "A Capital(ist) Mistake", "New Land", "Orpheus" and "Walking with Gogol".
