"Bodies trying to free themselves from physical limitations and taboos become liquid: they turn into blood, the body's fuel" – Jan Fabre
'I Am Blood (A Medieval Fairy Tale)' is a powerful ode to blood—the lifeblood that fuels both humanity’s darkest urges and loftiest dreams. First performed at the 55th Festival d'Avignon in 2001 and returning triumphantly in 2005, it gained acclaim worldwide for its fearless exploration of human nature. Praised by press and audiences worldwide, the production toured multiple continents, solidifying its place in contemporary theatre. Now, in 2024, this haunting work has been reimagined as 'Vér Vagyok (Egy Középkori Tündérmese)' featuring actors, dancers, and musicians from Budapest, once again striking a powerful chord in an era where history’s echoes feel alarmingly close.
Set against an abstract medieval landscape inspired by Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel, surreal visions emerge: knights, mystics, and healers embody ancient and modern rituals of pain, healing, and ecstasy. Twenty performers break taboos, depicting blood, wounds, and stigmata, confronting audiences with the shared human condition. The refrain, “It’s 2024 after Christ, and we’re still living in the Middle Ages” underscores our enduring primal instincts despite centuries of progress.
“In today's perception, the Middle Ages were a cruel time, but actually not much has changed since then. We still shed blood for power, for money, for love. We still crave blood, and blood is worth more than gold. The play describes the burden of the body, which is subject to obsessions, fixations, suffering and disease.”
Drawing from the writings of 12th-century Benedictine abbess St. Hildegard of Bingen’s vision of nature, spirit, and body, Fabre’s 'Red Mystic' character connects blood to the human spirit, embodying resilience, hope, and the quest for unity amid chaos. Alongside the figure of the ‘Red Mystic’ (performed by Ágota Szlilágyi) is two medieval doctor- chirurgiens (performed by Péter Herczegh and Auguszta Tóth) who voice their wish to become a “future liquid body, ” composed solely of blood. In this image of a future world, Christ no longer carries humanity’s sins; instead, humanity itself transcends its limitations and unites as one loving, tolerant, and invulnerable fluid entity.
“The piece expresses the hope that another form of existence will emerge. The ironic subtitle (A medieval fairy tale) indicates its fictional nature. It is a plea for a new sense of community, a new morality”
Blood, as portrayed, is both the essence of life and an ever-present reminder of life’s transience, binding generations and urging renewal. ‘I Am Blood (A Medieval Fairy Tale)’ becomes a brutal yet beautiful testament to shared fragility and yearning where within blood lies the history of scars and the promise of rebirth.
“Now, in 2024, the whole world seems to be in a period of transition again. People are fleeing poverty, trying to find a better life. And as long as there is such a big inequality between the rich and the poor, the world will remain unbalanced and blood will be shed.”
► I AM BLOOD - a medieval fairy tale - The performance
A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE NATIONAL THEATER OF HUNGARY, TROUBLEYN/JAN FABRE & THE YVETTE BOZSIK COMPANY
At Nemzeti Színház, National Theatre of Hungary, Budapest, 1095 Budapest, Bajor Gizi park 1
Friday 22 November 19:00 - World Première
Saturday 23 November 19:00
Wednesday 4 December 19:00
Sunday 29 December 15:00
Hungarian spoken | English surtitles
(19 November 2024)