In the tumultuous years of the Second World War, a young girl enters a new world: suddenly, Georgina Vitay is forced by her father to hide behind the walls of the Matula Girls' School, where strict rules and countless questions await her. Why must she be separated from her loved ones? At a time when every secret can save a life, who can she trust? Hope is embodied by an unseen helper: Abigél, the mysterious stone statue to whom students can always turn for help.
Magda Szabó says of the novel, "I wrote into Abigél everything I should have done as a witness and contemporary, yet I was nothing more than a guilty bystander."
For the rebellious, vivacious Gina, Matula initially feels like a prison. But as the ordeal unfolds, the true nature of the school slowly reveals itself to her. The friendships, secrets, bonds and Abigél's support all prove that the community she had initially rejected is in fact becoming a refuge and a new home to her. It is here that she learns what it means to take responsibility, to stand up for others - and that sometimes heroism lies in quietly standing up for yourself.
The story of the Matula Girls' School, Georgina Vitay and her companions, is now brought to life in a large-scale musical directed by Enikő Eszenyi, bringing the world of the iconic novel to life - shedding new light on friendship, courage and the mysterious helper known as Abigél.