The play was initially removed from the programme of this year's Dubrovnik Summer Festival after the police, following a request by the local authorities for a security risk assessment, found that it posed a security risk because of the author's attitude towards Muslims and Islam.
The stage and the audience in Lovrijenac Fortress on Monday evening were under the watchful eyes of the police, and members of the audience were searched before entering the venue.
Culture Minister Berislav Sipus said that the play was about "love and understanding", while the director of the festival's drama programme, Mani Gotovac, said that it had "an emotional and intellectual impact on the entire audience".
The novel, published in 1998, has been performed on stage in several European countries, including Germany, France and Spain. Written in raw and brutal language, it is regarded as an essay on the end of history and the total decadence of contemporary society.