In 1914, at the start of the First World War, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany famously promised that by the time the leaves fall from the trees, the War will be over. But when the signs of a bogged down conflict and a bloody stalemate became evident in December 1914, these words rang very hollow, indeed. Soldiers of Austria-Hungary faced the […]
Joël Pommerat is one of the most dynamic and complex directors of contemporary French theatre. And this time his piece entitled The Reunification of the Two Koreas has made its way to Budapest, where it is being directed by Gábor Máté, with starring roles for János Kulka, Alexandra Borbély and Eszter Ónodi. Mr. Pommerat is no “run-of-the-mill” director and playwright. (Perhaps […]
Budapest’s Radnóti Theatre, with Director Csaba Horváth, has put on a production of the Ancient Greek tragedy Orestes, with a somewhat modern visual spin. Written by Euripides in 408 BCE, the play explores the lasting impact of blood feuds and the necessity of replacing these with a modern civic legal process. The play focuses on the concept of earthly justice […]
Józsefváros, otherwise known as Budapest’s 8th district, has long been one of the most multicultural boroughs in the Hungarian capital. In the early twentieth century, it was home to thousands of rural Jews who moved to Budapest and tried to make a living at the Teleki Square fruit and vegetable market. It has also long boasted a large Gypsy (Roma) […]
“There’s a country (namely, Hungary), which ever since the late 19th century has had a habit of ridding itself of entire sections of its population. If the targeted groups don’t realize what’s going on quickly enough and if they don’t flee, then their homeland may end up murdering them”–thus begins Örkény Theatre’s summary of its newest play, entitled “This Land […]
Budapest’s National Theatre (Nemzeti Színház) is marking the hundredth anniversary of the First World War I with a play based on a largely unknown piece written by Ferenc Molnár (1878-1952). The early twentieth century author is a household name in Hungary, thanks in large part to his coming-of-age novel, The Paul Street Boys (1907), which is essentially canonical young adult […]
Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz’s piece Operetta is all about deception in the world of theatre. It’s a sharp, witty and sexually-charged play, which ultimately parodies the world of operettas. The play was first performed in 1969 in Italy, shortly after Mr. Gombrowicz’s death. In 1966, Mr. Gombrowicz had the following to say about the world of the performing arts: “Theater […]
