VARIED SEPTEMBER PROGRAMME AT THE HUNGARIAN THEATRE OF CLUJ

Musical performances, works by classical and contemporary authors await audiences at the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj in September.

On September 3, at 7 pm, in the studio space built on the main stage of the theatre, the company will present Attila Vidnyánszky Jr.'s first Cluj staging, the highly acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet. Starting with this new season the roles of Mrs. Capulet/Montague will be played by Zsuzsa Tőtszegi. The performance will be performed again on September 27 at 7 pm.

Literature lovers can also find plenty to enjoy within the walls of the theatre, as on September 6 and 17 at 8 pm, Dezső Kosztolányi's novel Édes Anna - directed by István Szabó K. - will be performed in the theatre's Studio, while on September 11 and 25 and at 7 pm, audiences will be welcomed to the studio space created on the main stage to see the stage adaptation of Zsigmond Móricz's realistic novel, Relatives, directed by László Bocsárdi.

Performances of works by Hungarian classical authors have also been a great success with Romanian audiences. Alexandru Jurcan wrote the following about the production of Édes Anna: “The Édes Anna performance is a true theatrical gem, with Cartesian clockwork precision. Directed by Szabo K. István. An inspired set design (Artūras Šimonis) proposes generous, often labyrinthine spaces. I once read the eponymous novel written by Kosztolányi Dezső in 1926, which highlights sympathy for the world of small people. A canonical novel, with a well-known plot, transposed to the stage with astonishing intelligence.”

While Alina Epîngeac reviewed the production of Relatives as follows: “The performance of Relatives, an adaptation of Móricz Zsigmond's novel by László Bocsárdi and Ágnes Kali, directed by László Bocsárdi, at the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj, discusses, in a very pertinent and artistically articulate way, that perennial problem of human nature indulging in social temptations. The characters become representatives of all kinds of faults, archetypes of arrivism in a realist key, sycophants of different species, who seduce and manipulate, climbing up a social ladder that parallels that of moral values.”

Two productions of director Botond Nagy, whose performances are characterised by a distinctive atmosphere and a unique audiovisual landscape, will be presented to audiences in the near future: A Doll's House, which premiered in 2019, will be performed on September 14 at 8 pm, while the director's latest work Elektra will be running on September 7, 16 and 28 in the theatre's Studio, all starting at 8 pm.

Now in its fifth season, the world-famous musical Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of a Jewish family's life driven by external pressures and inner desires in troubled historical times, but most of all it speaks of changing worlds and changing values, of what it means to be human, to have a family, to have faith, to have belonging to a community. The production, directed by László Béres, can be seen on September 13 at 7pm in the theatre's Main Hall.

The musical Animal Farm, directed by Zoltán Puskás, is also on the programme of the 2023/2024 season. George Orwell's novel was adapted for the stage by Róbert Lénárd, with music by Ervin Erős and Dávid Klemm. The performance, scheduled to start at 8 pm on September 15th, will be the production's 25th run in the theatre's main auditorium. George Orwell's satirical short novel Animal Farm, published in 1945, is an allegory and critique of Stalin's Soviet Union, but in a broader sense it explores the idea of how an originally beautiful and noble idea can turn into a dictatorship.

Group tickets are available for groups of more than 15 people for Main Hall performances.

On September 20, at 7 pm, in the theatre's Studio, audiences will be able to view the performance of Young Barbarians directed by Attila Vidnyánszky Jr. Since its premiere, the production has been invited to several festivals and nominated for numerous awards. The production will then be presented at the 14th DráMA Contemporary Theatre Encounter in Odorheiu Secuiesc on September 22, as well as at the 70th anniversary season of the Harag György Company of the Northern Theatre of Satu Mare.

A special feature of Young Barbarians is that it will be accompanied live by the Tokos Band: Csongor Attila Tókos, Albert Vajas, Gyula Bálint Szép, Kristóf Szakács, Zsombor Bálint.

Tickets for the September performances are available at the theatre's ticket office (weekdays between 10 am and 2 pm) and online at www.biletmaster.ro.