The idea of a new theatre was first proposed in a plan outlined by the city in 2005. The opening ceremony took place in the Latinovits Zoltán Hall, which seats 350 people.
The Csokonai Forum, currently the most modern theatre in the region and the country, hopes to become a true regional theatre. A think tank that will further enrich cross-border cultural relations, a scene that will provide an excellent opportunity for companies from Hungary and from abroad to perform in Debrecen, and to showcase the values of contemporary theatre.
August 23rd can be a truly historic moment not only for Debrecen, but for the region and the country as well, as the building of the theatre in Győr, the last of the rural theatres in Hungary to be built, is now almost half a century old, and the National Theatre located in Budapest has been open for two decades.
The last theatre in Debrecen was opened 157 years ago, in 1865, when the city’s first and largest stone theatre was inaugurated. The Csokonai National Theatre bears the marks of more than a century and a half, but not for long, as it is currently undergoing a major renovation. It is planned that this theatre will be open to theatre-loving audiences again in 2023.
The stage of the newly renovated Csokonai Forum will first host a stage adaptation of the novel Für Elise by the Debrecen-born writer Magda Szabó, directed by Jászai Mari Prize-winning actress and distinguished artist Anna Ráckevei.
