21. 05. 2019

THE BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH MUSICAL PERFORMED FOR THE LAST TIME AT THE HUNGARIAN THEATRE OF CLUJ

One of the most popular productions of the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj in last few seasons, namely the musical theatre version of Zsigmond Móricz’s classic novel Be Faithful Unto Death will be performed for the last time on Saturday, May 25, at 7 pm. Directed by László Béres and featuring 29 children, the production designed for our youngest audiences had proven to be to be favored by the entire family, as since its premiere on January 14, 2017, the 30 Main Hall performances that were presented throughout the last three theatrical seasons have been viewed by more than 20 000 spectators.

At the press conference that preceded the premiere, director László Béres has stated, that it is his intention to restore the weight of certain societal values - that are today considered to be conservative in the negative sense of the word -, such as honor, sincerity, and faithfulness, the latter being included also in the title of the play. According to Béres’ standpoint, neither Misi Nyilas, nor the children included within the performance feel that they are desperate; moreover, they have the ability to stand up firmly in defense of their truth. Their message to adults is: let us live and be children!

The story of Be Faithful Unto Death is well-known to many people - who is not familiar with the package, the lost lottery ticket stub, the particular tragedy of little Misi Nyilas. “For me, Be Faithful is a motto which we tend nowadays to use as a commonplace saying, not attributing an underlying content to it and thus not searching for its meaning. I believe to be faithful is equal to being honest, and to the efforts exerted in striving for honesty. In spite of the systems and expectations that surround us, it is always and forever important to remain ourselves. This story is about nothing else but staying true to one’s self” – stated the director.

László Béres does not deny it, for he is perfectly aware of the fact that the story of the student of Debrecen, as well as featuring child actors within a play are among the basic recipes needed of success. Still, he did not want to stage an "adorable" performance, aiming instead to produce a thought-provoking play, focused on rekindling the honesty and dignity of classical human values. He wanted to direct a play in which Misi Nyilas' sincerity and honesty does not make him a “loser”, one which at least calls into question the models of our daily lives, where the only role models are those people who fight for their own success regardless of the cost” - writes Samu Csinta in Magyar Idők. 

The leading role of the production is portrayed by Gellért Ábrahám, while the cast also includes: Csaba Marosán, Péter Árus, Áron Dimény, Gábor Viola, Róbert Laczkó Vass, Loránd Váta, Szabolcs Balla, Alpár Fogarasi, Júlia Laczó, Melinda Kántor, Andrea Vindis, Csilla Varga, Csilla Albert, Loránd Farkas, Ervin Szűcs, Réka Csutak, András Buzási, and the child-actors Dávid Kovács, Ákos Kerekes, Dávid Szenkovics, Victor Pulbere, Dávid Szilágyi, Kristóf Bodor, Ádám Rámay, Áron Sárosi, Dénes Sógor, Vincze Schneider, Alex-Krisztián Rancea, Csaba Esztergár, Eszter Jenei, Deborah Jenei, Csenge Darabont, Lea Sinkó, Kincső Somogyi, Réka Kolumbán, Kincső Pásztor, Dóra Ábrahám, Krisztina Horváth, Henrietta Mikó, Virág Sárosi, Boróka Benkő, Zsófia Deák, Csenge Szász, Kinga Albert. The musical’s set designer is Csaba Csíki, while its costume designer is Andrea Ledenják and choreographer is Melinda Jakab.

Ticket for the final performance can be purchased on weekdays at the theatre’s ticket office between 10 am and 2 pm, as well as online, at www.biletmaster.ro.