Theatre Shows at Festum Varadinum

During the 26th Festum Varadinum, between 7—21 May, Szigligeti Theatre will host shows by theatres both from Romania and Hungary. As an element of novelty, our theatre is offering two types of Varadinum festival passes, valid for 5 shows each.

The first big stage show of the event series, Traviata by GG Tánc, the dance company of Gárdonyi Géza Theatre Eger, Hungary, will take place on Sunday, 14 May, at 7 pm. The performance is based on the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, and raises important, timeless questions: Going through our personal dramas in life, how many times we, too, stray from the right path? What is the right path nowadays, anyway?

In the dance theatre adaptation created through the collaboration between Inversedance and GG Tánc Eger, the two acts of Traviata – thanks to the different approaches and visions of the two co-creators, Zoltán Fodor and Tamás Topolánszky – are clearly distinguished, and form one captivating, thought-provoking and spectacular performance.

On 15 May, Vojtina Puppet Theatre Debrecen will play its performance Lucky Joe and The Devil's Three Golden Hair-strands two times, at 10 am and 11.30 am.

On Wednesday, 17 May, Jókai Theatre Békéscsaba is bringing István Örkény's Cats' Play to Oradea. In the author's most popular stage play, the role of Adelaida Cs. Bruckner, originally played by the late Ibolya Csiky, is taken over by her daughter, actress Andrea Vindis.

On 18 and 19 May, Harag György Company of Northern Theatre Satu Mare presents the play The Comedy of Errors. Shakespeare's comedy had its premiere in February 2017, and is directed by multiple award-winning director László Bocsárdi, manager of Tamási Áron Theatre Sf. Gheorghe. “If my situation is comical or tragical depends only on my point of view: when I'm in the middle of a whirl, when everything is my fault, when I am the one who gets all the blows, I would rather just wail. However, if I could get out just for one moment, if I could just watch it all from the top of a hill, if I could see my wretched life from the Moon, I would surely just laught at it. But how could I ever escape from this hellish game until I don't even know its stake?”

On 21 March at 16.30, the play Feast by Géza Páskándi will be performed on the stage of Arcadia Theatre by Gárdonyi Géza Theatre Eger. The play re-interprets the tragic story of Unitarian bishop Ferenc Dávid through the “informer” phenomenon of pre-revolution politics.

The closing performance of this year's Festum Varadinum will be Yasmina Reza's Art, presented by Csokonai Theatre Debrecen. Using the debate about art as an apropo, the play raises questions about friendship. Are we really able to accept our friends the way they are? Or does it only work until we find ourselves in the situation where wi realize that our opinions aren't always identical? What is friendship anyway? And if it doesn't survive a bout of harsh honesty, can it still be called a friendship?

After the festival's main shows, another significant event will take place. Hungarian actress Dorottya Udvaros will present her new music album Majdnem valaki (Almost Somebody). This record is in many aspects a follow-up to her 1985 album. Géza Bereményi's lyrics explore the fine nuances of the relationships between man and woman, while naturally substituting the world of the eighties with that of today. “Regardless of the many-many years that have since passed, the idea of love still inspires me as well as Géza, and both of us feel like we still have a thousand things to say and ask about it.” At the concert, Dorottya Udvaros will be accompanied by a band led by Róbert Hrutka. The concert will take place on 27 May, at 7 pm, on the big stage of Szigligeti Theatre.

For the shows, two types of festival passes can be booked. Pass Varadinum A is valid for Traviata, Cats' Play, The Comedy of Errors, and Feast, and costs 50 Lei. Pass Varadinum B is valid, instead of the show of the Eger Theatre, for Dorottya Udvaros's concert (price: 60 Lei). At the same time, tickets for all the guest plays are available at the theatre's booking office, or online, at www.biletmaster.ro.

Please note that for The Comedy of Errors on 18 May, unused season tickets and festival passes are valid, also season ticket owners and groups of at least 10 may purchase their tickets at a discount price, for 13 Lei.