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National Theatre

with English simultaneous interpretation

photo by Eszter GORDON
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For better understanding, read the play's synopsis written by the writer and dramaturg of the play, István Mohácsi.

János Mohácsi was born in 1959. Jászai Mari Preiz awarded actor, since 1983 stage director for the  Csíky Gergely Theater Kaposvár. He is one of the most acclaimed stage directors of the country, his performances are among the best almost every year. Most of the time works with his brother, István Mohácsi dramaturg-writer on the texts, or they write them together.

The script is based on the book János vitéz on the Gulag written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Attila Mong. It is undoubtedly the most important play from the last season, which through an episode of Hungarian history deals with the country’s tendency to repress its problematic past. It also reflects on the current political situation. The performance won the Hungarian Theatre Critics Association award this year in Best performance category.

“They found the exact perspective from which they can look at themselves, at the theatre, and at our whole contemporary Hungary. The basic tone is exempt from two things that would make an objective vision, an examination of the situation impossible. One is nostalgia, the other is self-pity: that voice in which the theatre would see itself as a victim, so it would only be interested in its own problems and speak about itself with nostalgia. The nostalgia's throat, so to speak, is cut as the performance plays with time continuously; it mixes, copies it one unto the other, creates a sensation of eternity, combining the present, past and the fairy-transcendent. The self-irony and the continuous alienation keeps self-pity away. The secret of the performance is finding this voice, this point of view. It does not judge, and does not accept. Merely examines, takes a look at. Holds up for inspection, if you like."( Tompa Andrea, Színház)

1946. The theatre circle of a small village is taken from a János vitéz performance to Siberia. Based on an astonishing true story, this is a play about love, patriotism, blind faith, the Hungary of the Twentieth Century. Where the living remember, where the motherland is more beautiful than any fairyland, and where the unimaginable always becomes reality. Where you have to live and die – except if the dictator of the country or some other country think otherwise.