The Hungarian cabaret is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It was in 1907 that Endre Nagy created, or to be more exact, naturalised this art form in a venue called Bonbonnière. His name became synonymous with cabaret in the following decades; so much so that people went to what they called the „nagyendre” in the evenings. Péter Kárpáti’s new drama recalls this world and its creator, who was deprived of his theatre at the height of success, and even betrayed by his company. Kárpáti’s play has not been written as celebration, or as a documentary, or even as a taste of art history. The backbone of the story is made up of the personal drama, the tragedy arising from discrepancies of talent and ambition, as well as the never fading stories of intrigue and betrayal behind the scenes.

She loves me [theatre] One woman, or rather, two. Dorka Gryllus and her German colleague, Henriette Müller, embody the woman who is portrayed in a myriad ways in Péter Esterházy’s peculiar string of stories. Designed by Erzsébet Rácz, the production is, in fact, a unique performance: the venue is an exhibition hall that is linked to the street with the glass panels. The play centres around physical action, notably cooking. The actresses prepare dinner in front of the audience, while telling, whispering and shouting texts carved out from the work. After weeks of analysing the text together with the actresses, Erzsébet Rácz selected passages from the written work to be included in the production. However, it will not be a kind of linearly told story. The excerpts will be used for the purpose of improvisations, and the audience is also invited to join in the stage reality.

She loves me [theatre] One woman, or rather, two. Dorka Gryllus and her German colleague, Henriette Müller, embody the woman who is portrayed in a myriad ways in Péter Esterházy’s peculiar string of stories. Designed by Erzsébet Rácz, the production is, in fact, a unique performance: the venue is an exhibition hall that is linked to the street with the glass panels. The play centres around physical action, notably cooking. The actresses prepare dinner in front of the audience, while telling, whispering and shouting texts carved out from the work. After weeks of analysing the text together with the actresses, Erzsébet Rácz selected passages from the written work to be included in the production. However, it will not be a kind of linearly told story. The excerpts will be used for the purpose of improvisations, and the audience is also invited to join in the stage reality.

Brecht’s theatre will come to this year’s Budapest Autumn Festival to perform Ibsen’s classic play directed by a living legend. This legend is no other than Peter Zadek, 81, whose productions are characterised by passion, exceptionally powerful theatrical impacts, and the use of revelatory and often provocative ideas. Many of his productions were kind of discovery: for example, he was the first to adapt Wedekind’s first Lulu play on stage, which established a new theatrical tradition. He served as artistic director of the Bochum and Hamburg theatres, and later of the Berliner Ensemble, where he has worked since the early 1990s. The current Peer Gynt production was made three years ago, and has been played with great success not only in Berlin but also at several high-profile festivals [such as Vienna and Edinburgh]. The vigorous, spectacular and resourceful production simultaneously depicts the processes of life’s passing and accomplishment, while leading his hero from a mountain hut to the jungle of concrete blocks.

[In German with Hungarian subtitles.]

The title hero is Egbert of Church Shadow, whose father used to be a church mouse but has already retired after developing rheumatism from the cold stones. The curious and enterprising little mouse leaves the family home behind to have a look around the world. The production by the Budapest Puppet Theatre is from Ágnes Bálint’s poetically playful story. The writer worked for almost thirty years at Hungarian Television, where she produced such kids’ classics as Futrinka utca, Mazsola, Frakk, Kukori és Kotkoda and Vízipók, csodapók. The Diary of a Mouse was originally also a television series as well in the 1960s, whose special paper silhouette technology can be considered a rudimentary special effects film. Directed by András Lénárt, the production, which is designed for small children, also uses a special technique: traditional hand puppets are used in a virtual 3D space.

In the Pernicious Proximity of Humans [theatre] In 1949 the Communists nationalised the theatres, which was the greatest and most controversial event in the history of Hungarian theatres. While state funding allowed theatrical businesses to turn from uncertain enterprises into sophisticated art theatres, the regime instantaneously restricted this advantage by making theatres a tool of party politics. This process becomes clear from the minutes that were taken at different kinds of meetings after 1950, and which constitute the most significant and powerful drama of Hungarian theatres. The multiple parts of the minutes include distorted personal voices as well as the cracking of breaking backbones. The text of the Kamra production was compiled by director Gábor Zsámbéki, together with Géza Fodor and György Lengyel.

Brecht’s theatre will come to this year’s Budapest Autumn Festival to perform Ibsen’s classic play directed by a living legend. This legend is no other than Peter Zadek, 81, whose productions are characterised by passion, exceptionally powerful theatrical impacts, and the use of revelatory and often provocative ideas. Many of his productions were kind of discovery: for example, he was the first to adapt Wedekind’s first Lulu play on stage, which established a new theatrical tradition. He served as artistic director of the Bochum and Hamburg theatres, and later of the Berliner Ensemble, where he has worked since the early 1990s. The current Peer Gynt production was made three years ago, and has been played with great success not only in Berlin but also at several high-profile festivals [such as Vienna and Edinburgh]. The vigorous, spectacular and resourceful production simultaneously depicts the processes of life’s passing and accomplishment, while leading his hero from a mountain hut to the jungle of concrete blocks.

[In German with Hungarian subtitles.]

The title hero is Egbert of Church Shadow, whose father used to be a church mouse but has already retired after developing rheumatism from the cold stones. The curious and enterprising little mouse leaves the family home behind to have a look around the world. The production by the Budapest Puppet Theatre is from Ágnes Bálint’s poetically playful story. The writer worked for almost thirty years at Hungarian Television, where she produced such kids’ classics as Futrinka utca, Mazsola, Frakk, Kukori és Kotkoda and Vízipók, csodapók. The Diary of a Mouse was originally also a television series as well in the 1960s, whose special paper silhouette technology can be considered a rudimentary special effects film. Directed by András Lénárt, the production, which is designed for small children, also uses a special technique: traditional hand puppets are used in a virtual 3D space.

The Hungarian cabaret is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It was in 1907 that Endre Nagy created, or to be more exact, naturalised this art form in a venue called Bonbonnière. His name became synonymous with cabaret in the following decades; so much so that people went to what they called the „nagyendre” in the evenings. Péter Kárpáti’s new drama recalls this world and its creator, who was deprived of his theatre at the height of success, and even betrayed by his company. Kárpáti’s play has not been written as celebration, or as a documentary, or even as a taste of art history. The backbone of the story is made up of the personal drama, the tragedy arising from discrepancies of talent and ambition, as well as the never fading stories of intrigue and betrayal behind the scenes.

In the Pernicious Proximity of Humans [theatre] In 1949 the Communists nationalised the theatres, which was the greatest and most controversial event in the history of Hungarian theatres. While state funding allowed theatrical businesses to turn from uncertain enterprises into sophisticated art theatres, the regime instantaneously restricted this advantage by making theatres a tool of party politics. This process becomes clear from the minutes that were taken at different kinds of meetings after 1950, and which constitute the most significant and powerful drama of Hungarian theatres. The multiple parts of the minutes include distorted personal voices as well as the cracking of breaking backbones. The text of the Kamra production was compiled by director Gábor Zsámbéki, together with Géza Fodor and György Lengyel.

There is no bloodshed in János Térey’s new play. You can hear today’s typical din of the battle only in the background whose melody is provided by the vocal tones of bin bumping and car burning. Author of The Nibelung Condo and the Casemates, Térey sets the scene of his new drama in a restaurant in Buda, where a company of young people comes together around a table: friends and foes, lovers and cheated wives, regulars and occasional guests. The seeming peace and agreement are not disturbed by the events that take place in the city centre. Nothing particular happens; perhaps someone cheats on someone else, someone’s pregnancy becomes known, and someone breaks with someone forever. The outstanding author of contemporary poetry has now put the feelings and the attitudes of a young generation into verse. Tablemusic, played by the talented young company of Radnóti Theatre, is a bitter account of Budapest in the first decade of the 21st century.

There is no bloodshed in János Térey’s new play. You can hear today’s typical din of the battle only in the background whose melody is provided by the vocal tones of bin bumping and car burning. Author of The Nibelung Condo and the Casemates, Térey sets the scene of his new drama in a restaurant in Buda, where a company of young people comes together around a table: friends and foes, lovers and cheated wives, regulars and occasional guests. The seeming peace and agreement are not disturbed by the events that take place in the city centre. Nothing particular happens; perhaps someone cheats on someone else, someone’s pregnancy becomes known, and someone breaks with someone forever. The outstanding author of contemporary poetry has now put the feelings and the attitudes of a young generation into verse. Tablemusic, played by the talented young company of Radnóti Theatre, is a bitter account of Budapest in the first decade of the 21st century.