Studio K Theatre
'Sacra Hungarica is a Balkanian, in-yer-face theatre event that happens right in the heart of Budapest. Socialised on post-Yugoslavian political theatre, director András Urbán has become acknowledged by festivals all around the region. He introduced his own working method when he joined the company of Studio K. During rehearsals, the actors answered, debated and improvised upon the questions posed by Urbán. As a final accord, the director and his dramaturg, Kata Gyarmati, have singled out and mixed up the texts that, in a ridiculous and depressing way, characterize common talk in the Hungary of today. What is considered natural in theatres south of Hungary, where the theme of public life is often called upon, will definitely cause confusion, if not a scandal, in Budapest. No one emerges unscathed from Urbán and his actors, now transformed into mediators of hate: liberals, Nazis, Christians, atheists, independent theaters, subsidized theatres all get their asses handed to them. The sub-title, theatre of patriotism, is provoking, yet truthful by suggesting that if we ever reach the point of thinking about patriotism at all, it will definitely be excruciating and filled with doubt and fury.' Tamás Jászay, curator
CREDITS
Katalin Homonnai, Dániel Lovas, Gábor Nagypál, Júlia Nyakó, Melitta Pallagi, György Sipos, Lajos Spilák
Dramaturg: Kata Gyarmati
Music: Attila Antal
English translation: Anna Lengyel
Assistants: Katinka Rémi, Veronika Vajdai
Director: András Urbán
REVIEWS
‘Executed at a heat level entirely unknown in Hungarian theatre, Sacra Hungarica is a deadly mission that will certainly blow some fuses.’ Tamás Jászay, revizoronline.hu
'In his current piece András Urbán uses his identity as a theatre director and a Hungarian minority as a starting point to remind us of what a mob we really are.' Szilvia Sisso Artner, szinhaz.net
"Seven brilliant actors offer us an insight into the misinterpreted science of the idea of a nation, allowing us to experience what it is made of, how it works and what it becomes when put into practice in present-day Hungary.” Katalin Gabnai, Art7.hu
ANDRÁS URBÁN & STUDIO K
András Urbán, the manager-director of the Kosztolányi Dezső Theatre in Subotica (SRB), is a theatre maker who establishes a live connection between stage and auditorium, and who opens up the issues raised in his performances with the precision of a surgeon. His oeuvre is only familiar to those who have had the chance to travel the Balkans together with him, since, over the past few years, he has worked in all the states of the former Yugoslavia. Urbán is usually invited by theatre companies with whom he then either reworks major national classics, or creates original performances. In case of the latter he builds upon the personal stories of the participants, and uses a documentarist style to deal with public affairs that preoccupy a wide range of social circles. Sacra Hungarica is the first show Urbán has directed in Budapest.
Studio K Theater is the only independent theatre in Hungary that manages a permanent venue and troupe and operates in a repertory system. Its different shows are aimed at audiences of all ages, including children, youths and adults. It also receives other independent companies and productions and supports young theatre creators. In addition to performing arts, Studio K Theater has focused from the outset on equal opportunities, supporting the disadvantaged, providing quality theater education, and expanding access to culture. Within the frame of its Lifelong Learning Program, the theatre’s team uses fine art tools to help elderly people keep their minds fresh and remain active members of society.
SUPPORTERS
Ministry of Human Recources, Municipality of Ferencváros