Documentary theatre (80' performance + 30' gathering)
In Hungarian with English subtitles

The performers of DRIVE, Viktória Zsanett Lantos, Sándor Németh and Zsolt Nagy, are all employees – only while the former two work in a factory, the latter’s workplace is a repertory theatre with a resident company, Örkény Theatre, whose operation is itself often described as factory-like. The analogy between the industrial-scale production of one new show after another and the assembly line manufacturing of products is by no means far-fetched: both are manifestations of the latest developments in the capitalist mode of production. But how does time pass on stage and how does it pass in a factory? What kind of an artist is a worker, and in what way is an artist a worker? What are the difficulties of organising a trade union, or even a strike, in the automotive and in the performing arts sectors? How are individual life stories and social processes interconnected? What impact did the expansion of the German automotive industry in Hungary have on the consolidation of the Orbán regime? These are the questions behind the documentary theatre project of Kristóf Kelemen, Tímea Török and Teresa Lucia Rosenkrantz, created as a German-Hungarian co-production with the participation of non-professional and professional performers. (Beatrix Kricsfalusi, curator)

Since the 1990s there has been a growing presence of German automotive corporations in Hungary, while the car industry itself has become a core symbol of the highly complex capitalist system. It shapes all of our lives. The assembly line never stops, the pace keeps increasing, and our performance is continuously being optimised. Every two minutes, a car leaves the factory; every two months, a new theatre production premieres. Consumption creates jobs that further fuel consumption, while the gap between social classes continues to widen.
An actor and two union workers from two German premium car factories operating in Hungary turn their gaze toward this structure. Three personal stories that now intersect. In this state of constant acceleration, could it already be an act of solidarity and resistance to take time to get to know one another – and to imagine ourselves in someone else’s position?

CREDITS

Performers: Viktória Zsanett LANTOS, Zsolt NAGY, Sándor NÉMETH

Video: Márton K. TAKÁCS, Lambert STREHLKE
Music: Márton KRISTÓF
Lighting and Sound Technician: Bala SZABON/Ádám LANGÓ
Video Technician: Tibor KIEFER
Assistant Director: Anita TOTOBÉ
Production Manager: Brigitta KOVÁCS, Anita TOTOBÉ (FÜGE)
Tour Management: Anna SÁNDOR, Brigitta KOVÁCS (Next Stage+)
Consultant: Tibor MESZMANN
Outside Eye: Judit BÖRÖCZ
Concept and Creators: Kristóf KELEMEN, Tímea TÖRÖK, Teresa Lucia ROSENKRANTZ

The production is realized within the framework of the Staféta Programme of the Municipality of Budapest.
Production partner: SzínMűHely Foundation
Coproduction partners: FÜGE Produkció, Goethe-Institut (International Coproduction Fund)

Supported by: Staféta Programme, Municipality of Budapest, FÜGE Production, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, European Union.
The project is realized in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut (International Coproduction Fund).
Funded by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Ministry of Culture and Media.
We thank the Örkény István Theatre for their support.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

REVIEWS

“I find myself thinking that there are performances that shouldn’t be labeled ‘English-friendly,’ but simply ‘friendly.’ In all caps. Because everyone should come and see them – young and old alike. I’m talking about productions that don’t invite us into museum-like text-based theatre, however original or exciting it may be, but into life itself: into a kind of bubble we might not normally dare to enter, or that – even if we are somewhat familiar with it – offers us a different perspective.”
– Zsófia Molnár, Élet és Irodalom, 2026.

“Drive helps us forget our prejudices – if we let it. It also encourages us to dare to ask questions again, of others and of ourselves. And even to have the patience and faith to find the answers.”
– Gyula Balogh, Népszava, 2026.

TOURS, FESTIVALS

HochX, Munich (DE), 9-10th of April 2026.
Lichthof Theater, Hamburg (DE), 30th of April, 1th of May 2026.

BIO

Teresa Lucia ROSENKRANTZ is an independent theatre director and theatre facilitator. Her participatory and inclusive works are created at the intersection of performance, community art, and collective practice. They explore social power structures as well as questions of accessibility, solidarity, and collective responsibility, and have been presented in a wide range of institutional and independent contexts, including Thalia Theater Hamburg, Kampnagel, Klabauter Theater, and the Young Triennale of the Ruhrtriennale. As a co-founder of the feminist bright future kollektiv, she combines artistic research with transgenerational and collaborative working methods.
https://rosenkrantz.me/

Kristóf KELEMEN is a theatre director, playwright, and dramaturg. His research-based documentary works explore collective memory, the realities of working-class life, and right-wing populism, and have been presented at international festivals. His performances have been showcased at a number of international festivals, including Fast Forward in Dresden, Spielart in Munich, and Theaterfestival Basel. His practice combines artistic research with social engagement and collaborative methods.
https://kristofkelemen.com/

Tímea TÖRÖK is an applied theatre practitioner and participatory arts facilitator. She has worked in theatre education departments and in applied theatre and theatre-in-education projects, as well as working as a cultural organiser and independent artist. Through collaborations spanning a range of forms and genres, she explores how participants from diverse backgrounds can become active contributors to artistic creation and collective reflection. Her process-based, documentary and participatory practice centres on creating connections through art. She is particularly interested in situations that enable us to see ourselves as artists, members of a community and participants in society. 
https://paralelcsoport.hu/en

CONTACT

Brigitta KOVÁCS
bkovacs.theatre@gmail.com