News

Few places, still silent or empty, are the theater itself, with capital letters and without any other need of the visitor than to be there, immerse themselves in a sacred and perfect space, the true peak of human creation and reverence for the millenary art of Melpomene and Thalia Andrea Palladio imagined it so at the end of the sixteenth century in the conception of the Olympic of Vicenza masterfully drawing space between the ancient walls of an old prison, and thus receives us today, with a greatness that does not overwhelm, but envelops, with a display harmonious classical forms that become the ideal cornice, the perfect framework for the theater and dance, in all its forms and styles, demonstrate their will to survive, to teach us the mirror path of the arts and its enduring value, its spokesman of the news and the farce, the tragic and the comedian. It is thrilling to think that some of the lamps of the ghostly illumination that Scamozzi designed for the Oedipus premiere in the sixteenth century have survived in part.

The first voice is that of hope. After two years of worry, compensation and finding the way, the Madách International Theatre Meeting – MITEM can again become what it was intended to be: the free encounter of theatre companies and audience where people can get to know each other and have a glance at the most beautiful faces of other cultures. It is neither a festival nor a competition, but a meeting. This simple but perhaps currently better appreciated social occasion allows us to experience theatre as a celebration.

“Ah, in this tumult wild, What shall become of that self locked in me.” – It has a powerful message that this time the organisers have not chosen a new motto for the Madách (Imre) International Theatre Meeting, but kept the quote chosen before the pandemic.

As you all know, in 2020, the Madách International Theatre Meeting, MITEM, was cancelled due to the pandemic situation. We have twice tried to postpone the programme to a new date, but COVID-19 did not allow us to hold the festival.  The good news is that MITEM can be hold this year, in 2021, between September 17th and October 9th. The details of the rich programme will be presented to the press on Monday, August 23rd.

Dear colleagues,
The National Theatre informs you, with profound sadness, that early last morning (16 April 2021) after a prolonged illness, Mari Törőcsik -- Outstanding Artist and Artist of Merit, celebrated as both the Nation's Actress and the Nation's Artist, two-time winner of the Mari Jászai Prize, in addition to the Béla Balázs Prize and the Kossuth Grand Prize -- passed away at 86 years of age. She is a permanent member of the Company of Immortals. The  National Theatre regards Mari Törőcsik as our dearly departed.

The Berliner Ensemble and its leader, Oliver Reese organized a discussion on Hungarian cultural issues: https://www.berliner-ensemble.de/be-live. The discussion included statements regarding the National Theatre and MITEM which we cannot leave unanswered.

The National Theater informs its audience that, due to the coronavirus epidemic affecting our country, the Operative administration body and the Government of Hungary, according to the decree effective as of today, will not hold its plays and performances from today onwards until this decision is revoked.  The Madách International Theater Festival is postponed by the National Theater on the recommendation of the Ministry of Human Resources.

A documentary was made of this year's MITEM festival.