POSZT has become Hungary?s biggest theatre event of the year and serves as a reminder of Hungarians love of the stage, deputy-undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture Márta Schneider said at the festival?s opening ceremony. Of Hungary?s 15,500 annual theatre productions, 400 can be seen at POSZT.
Last year, some 4.5 million Hungarians bought theatre tickets and a further half a million saw alternative productions staged outside of traditional theatres. Altogether, they spent HUF 6.7 billion, Schneider said.
Schneider said the festival is more than just ten days of performances; it also offers the opportunity for members of the theatre profession and members of the audience to share ideas and opinions.
Pécs mayor László Toller said a measure of the festival?s success is the fact that most of the tickets for performances have already been sold out, and tickets for the most popular performances were gone within hours of being put on sale.
Eleven productions are competing at this year?s POSZT, chosen by the actor András Márton from a selection of 140 pieces. POSZT has attracted an annual 50,000 visitors for the last several years, of which 10,000 are able see the productions in the competition.
This year?s festival is operating with a budget of HUF 166 million, provided in large part by the Ministry of Culture and the City of Pécs. The rest comes from ticket sales and sponsors.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
