Maladype, one of the most progressive local independent companies, has chosen a really special space for its next premiere: the Fészek Artist’s Club Theatre Hall, where on January 25th, Witold Gombrowicz’s most played drama in Hungarian, Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy will have its premiere.

The first Gombrowicz-premiere in Hungarian was at the Comedy Theater in 1978. One year later, Operetta was followed by The Marriage at Kaposvár. Ivona had to wait until 1989, though the Polish writer-playwriter had already written the play in 1958, which had been directed at Veszprém by Krystian Lupa. (The director who has since become world-famous –and this is not exaggerated- does still remember this work of his?)

Get to know the basic questions of the play with the help of András Pályi, the translator of the work!

“Is it a law against it? If it were a law I would not follow it blindly, I am free.”- says Prince Philip at the beginning of the play. After meeting Yvonne, the heir to the throne feels like he has to rebel against every convention. In addition to the constraints of social norms, his desire for freedom imposes limits on instincts and human nature. He gets engaged to Yvonne, who thus gets introduced to the royal court, and from now on she plays the role of a touchstone: in this relationship with Yvonne, all the other characters must answer the question asked by him. Yvonne’s silent presence acts as a catalyst. Her role is nothing more than the embodiment of a scenic schema. Yvonne does not exist as a dramatic figure, only as a role.

Gombrowicz heroes’ basic, inner-drive is: to find each other at all costs. “I need people. Not to get along with them. Just them to show sign of life. “- he writes. However, his heroes do not understand each other - they can’t - they only show each other a “sign of life”: this is how Yvonne will be a dramatic vision of life, a linguistic compound...

For Gombrowicz, the recipient of the work has a particular importance, he sees it as the most important forum: he has shown from the beginning the increased interest in that specific relationship between the narrator and his audience.

If, as Susan Sontag says, the main endeavor of modern art is to “go beyond psychology”, then this is unconditionally valid for Gombrowicz as well, and in this aspect, it can be somewhat related to the representatives of anti-theater. As a writer, he refers to civilization schemes as forms, which exist in the minds of the audience: Gombrowicz is interested in the “concussion” of the audience consciousness.

Maladype was founded in 2001 and its artistic director is Zoltán Balázs. The meaning of the companies name in Romani is “meeting” embracing the philosophy of an ever-evolving company in the last 18 years: encounters with new theater forms, audiences, adventurers from other theatrical systems and cultures and artists, co-creators. The history of Maladype can be divided into several parts, the most recent one started in the fall of 2018: the FIVE GATES era-specific theatrical-methodology concept and the associated complex theatrical and talent care/support program have started. The concept is basically a professional set of proposals for the renewal of performing arts, in which Zoltán Balázs relies on its acquired domestic and international theatrical knowledge and pedagogical experience, in a variety of genres. The researchers of the program are the young actors who graduated from the University of Arts in Tîrgu Mureș, for whom Zoltán Balázs directed a performance called August. The members stayed together and we can say –without exaggeration- they have traveled the world with August. For years, their performances could be seen at the Base at Miszáth Square, but they had to leave from there out of their own fault: the apartment theater had been flooded, the technical equipment, sets, props and costumes of the performances on repertoire had been destroyed. The new production had been specifically created and inspired by the Fészek’s space, the company intends that Yvonne will be a dialogue with the audience reflecting the current relationship between the audience and creators. The director and set designer of the production are Zoltán Balázs, the costume designer is Anikó Németh, and the cast is Brigitta Dőry, Brigitta Erőss, Simon Jáger, Andrea Lukács, Gáspár Mesés, Lilla Zsenák.

Papageno, January 21, 2020.