The play, called ?House of Árpád?, was written by György Spiró, a giant on Hungary?s theatre scene and a winner of the Kossuth prize, the country?s highest award for artists. Spiró created a new language for Hungarian theatre in the early 1980s with plays such as ?Chickenhead? and ?The Impostor?. The latter, based on Spiró?s novel ?The X-es? even enjoyed success abroad.
In the ?House of Árpád?, Spiró writes in a language which sounds like archaic Hungarian but is smattered with absurdities. He portrays the Árpád line as a lascivious and murderous bunch only out for power. This presentation of the nation?s former leaders as stupid barbarians will surely hit home with an audience who will soon decide their next government. And, perhaps, that is Spiró?s intention.
In an interview in 2000, Spiró complained that ?these days, theatre and the arts in general do not appear to have any social significance,? but he added ?I am sure that it will be different again in ten years.?
?House of Árpád? was written in 1994-95 and has been published twice, but never performed.
?House of Árpád? will be performed at Budapest?s Műcsarnok, on Heroes? Square, at 8:00pm on April 15.
For more information about Spiró, visit http://www.hunlit.hu/spirogyorgy,en
For more information about the Krétakör Theatre, visit: http://static.kretakor.hu/eng/
Source: Krétakör Theatre
