Oldal 153 [153]
A BITTER FARCE OF LOSING POLITICAL IDEALS
IMRE KERÉNYI: KING JOHN, 1984.
—to>
Title: King John. Date of Premiere: 4" November, 1984. Venue: Castle Theatre,
Budapest. Director: Imre Kerényi. Author: Friedrich Dürrenmatt (based on
William Shakespeare’s King John). Translator: Gäbor Görgey. Composers:
Gábor Kemény, Tibor Kocsák. Dramaturg: Enikő Márai. Set designer:
Attila Csikés. Costume designer: Zsuzsa Borsi. Company: National Theatre,
Budapest. Actors: Istvan Hirtling (John Plantagenet, King of England), Eva
Vass (Queen Eleanor, mother of John), Anna Gotz (Isabella of Angouléme, wife
of John), Anna Kubik (Blanche of Castile, niece of John), Cecilia Esztergalyos
(Constance, sister-in-law of John), Viktéria Garai (Artur Plantagenet, Duke of
Brittany, nephew of John), Frigyes Funtek (Philip Faulconbridge, the Bastard),
Eszter Szakács (Lady Faulconbridge, mother of the Bastard), Gyorgy Csdk
(Robert Faulconbridge, brother of the Bastard), Zsigmond Fülöp (Philip, King
of France), József Kerekes (Louis the Dauphin), László Dózsa (Leopold, Prince
of Austria), Zoltán Nagy (Pandulpho, Cardinal of Milan), Pál Mácsai (Earl
of Pembroke, Minister of John), László Baranyi (Chantillon, Ambassador
of Philip), Péter Czibulás (Lord Essex; First citizen from Angers), Csongor
Ferenczy (Lord Bigot; English Herald), György Bősze (Lord Salisbury; French
Herald), Bertalan Bagó (Soldier), Péter Győri (Soldier), Géza Kaszás (Soldier),
Árpád Nagy (Musician).
CONTEXT OF THE PERFORMANCE IN THEATRE CULTURE
During the necessary renewal of the company and the repertory, King John
provided the National Theatre with a professional and box-office success for
several seasons. When Imre Pozsgay, the Minister of Culture and Education,
who had made the reform of the National a crucial issue, lost the battle for
control of cultural policy against Gyorgy Aczél, he “founded the Katona Jézsef
Theatre as an independent institution detached from the National, and made
Gábor Székely and Gábor Zsámbéki escape to there"."?? It was one of Pozsgay’s
739 Géza Fodor: A Katona József Színház 15 éve, in Anna Veress (ed.): Katona 1982-97 Kamra
1991-97, Budapest, Katona József Színház Alapítvány [1997], 4. — The Katona Jozsef Theatre
was formerly (between 1951 and 1982) the chamber theatre of the National.