Eighteen productions from eleven countries will participate in the 11th Madách International Theatre Meeting (MITEM), which will take place at the National Theatre on 6–28 April.
Magdolna Závogyán, State Secretary for Culture at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (KIM), emphasized during the festival’s press conference in Budapest on Tuesday that MITEM and the grand theatrical Olympics have opened a new chapter in cultural diplomacy. Entering its second decade, the meeting bears witness to cohesion, mutual respect, interest, the enriching power of diversity, and the universality of art, she said.
Závogyán added that MITEM promotes Hungary’s reputation, artistic, organizational, and professional competence worldwide, and serves as an international community-building platform, a professional intellectual workshop, a meeting point, dialogue, and collective reflection on the present, future, art, and culture. She pointed out that
MITEM is a cornerstone of Hungarian cultural diplomacy, with the uniqueness of this year’s meeting that it coincides with the Hungarian–Turkish cultural season.
Péter Hoppál, government commissioner responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Hungarian–Turkish cultural season, stated that as part of the joint cultural season, two Turkish performances will be featured at MITEM. On 18 April, the Istanbul City Theatre will present a stage adaptation of War and Peace, followed by Motherland, based on the work of Kemal Tahir, on 20 April. The National Theatre and the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble will present their joint production at the Antalya International Theatre Festival on 22–23 May.
Attila Vidnyánszky, Director General of the Hungarian National Theatre, highlighted that the success of the theatrical Olympics reaffirmed and strengthened their belief that culture is the tool capable of building bridges above any conflict. He emphasized that MITEM is one of the freest theatre festivals in the world, where there are no mandatory themes, and everyone can freely express and share their opinions. He stressed that only artistic excellence matters. Vidnyánszky stated that the festival attracts the world’s best theatres, with MITEM being one of Europe’s most important theatrical meetings.
Edit Ágota Kulcsár, the main organizer of MITEM, highlighted that the programme will include a photo exhibition, professional events, and discussions. Numerous returning artists will participate in the festival, and the themes of the performances are inspired by significant moments in human history.
Theodoros Terzopoulos will present Waiting for Godot by Beckett, and his student, Savvas Stroumpos, will showcase the Greek company’s performance of Chekhov’s The Seagull. The programme will also include a Lithuanian production of Anna Karenina directed by Rimas Tuminas.
The Kassa (Košice) State Theatre will present The Diary of Anne Frank as a modern dance performance. The Mazhit Gafuri Bashkir State Academy Drama Theatre company will perform The Dispossessed at MITEM, based on one of the works by its namesake.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/KIM/MTI
