This is the story of Jesus condensed into a single outstretched moment. Baroque mystery plays and folk songs, contemporary poetry and the Bible. Theatre and dance. A harmony of styles and genres - all these combine into The Passion of Csíksomlyó as interpreted by director Attila Vidnyánszky.
The performance presents the world of 18th century Franciscan mystery plays, biblical quotations and secular and religious folk songs, with a contemporary viewpoint. In excerpts from Géza Szőcs' Passion, biblical characters speak of redemption with the cynicism, irony and incomprehension of modern man. These contemporary approaches are juxtaposed with the profound faith of the people of olden days.
The present stage-time, the 'here and now' is the Way of the Cross and the crucifixion. Key moments in Jesus' life are presented as flashbacks. The spectators thus experience a moment stretched into infinity.
This joint production of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble and the National Theatre has already been presented as an open-air performance in Csíksomlyó, and outside the Esztergom Basilica and the Great Church of Debrecen. The Theatre Olympics will present a grand Passion performance outside St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest.
Free tickets for the 26 May event are available via this link.
Attila Vidnyánszky is a theatre and opera director, teacher, theatre manager and festival organiser. Originally from Transcarpathia, now part of Ukraine, he founded his company there, which continues to operate to this day and has been invited to prestigious festivals from Nancy to Torun and Moscow, including the Moscow and St Petersburg Theatre Olympics.
He was the Principal Director of the Hungarian State Opera House and, since 2013, he has been at the helm of the National Theatre in Budapest. He is the founder of MITEM (Madách International Theatre Meeting). He has taught in Kyiv and Kaposvár and currently teaches theatre directing at the Budapest University of Theatre and Film Arts. He has received many Hungarian and international theatre awards, including the Mejerhold Prize in 2009.
