The first production I saw last night at the 13th MITEM Festival at the National Theatre in Budapest, Queen of my heart, by Nicola McAuliffe, takes on a subject that is curiously absent from contemporary theatre: ageing.

MITEM (Madách International Theatre Meeting), held annually at the National Theatre in Budapest, is one of Central Europe’s major international theatre festivals. Since its founding in 2014, it has brought together companies from across Europe and beyond, positioning itself as a platform for dialogue between theatrical traditions, languages, and aesthetic approaches. Rather than functioning as a conventional showcase, MITEM has developed a reputation for carefully curated programs that reflect broader cultural and political questions shaping the region.

The new exhibition of the Nemzeti Színház brings to light the silenced stories of the past: the fates of actors who, between 1947 and 1989, were forced to make decisions under the shadow of political power. The exhibition is not only an act of remembrance, but also a provocation—raising questions about artistic freedom, responsibility, and the weight of the spoken word.