By and with Soma Boronkay, Emőke Kiss-Végh, Erik Major, Bence Mezei, Csaba Molnár, Lili Monori, Roland Rába and Sándor Zsótér

Internationally recognised theatre director and filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó founded his independent company Proton Theatre in Hungry, through which he presents powerful sometimes upsetting creations that he develops on stage in collaboration with the writer Kate Wéber. Three characters are at the centre of Parallax: in Budapest, an elderly Jewish woman, who refuses to receive a concentration camp survivor medal from the current Hungarian government; in Berlin, her daughter who needs to prove her Jewish identity to receive the benefits granted to it in Germany and enrol her son in a good school; and her son who is only interested in his identity as a homosexual. Parallax (a term that refers to the change in the point of view placed on an object) delves into this paradox: how can an identity be both a burden and a privilege?

Dans la presse

« Mundruczó doesn’t make our situation any easier. His theatre is unsettling. His masterful company, Proton Theatre performs at the Wiener Festwochen for the seventh time. » – Die Presse (Austria)


« The word ’play’ is far from sufficient to describe what we see on stage. Proton Theatre from Budapest, founded by Kornél Mundruczó 15 years ago, is a theatrical wonder. The acting is perfectly lifelike. It is impossible to imagine that they do not identify with their characters – despite the fact that we’ve already seen most of them in various different roles over the last few years. » – nachtkritik.de (Germany)


« The art of Kornél Mundruczó is characterized by a theatricality that is deeply imbued with thoughts. The performance Parallax, which he produced together with his independent company, Proton Theatre, is one of the highlights of the Wiener Festwochen. In a visual world that alternates between hyperrealism and poetic surrealism, this world premiere unveils the weight of transgenerational trauma through the stories of three generations that have lost their identities as a result of the Holocaust. Using the sensual power of theatre Mundruczó formulates a valid statement that goes beyond what is learned and experienced. » – Die Deutsche Bühne (Germany)


« The highlight of the Wiener Festwochen is a world premiere that will not be shown in the director’s home country, Hungary. Marginalised groups are put in the focus: the family of a Jewish woman who was born in a concentration camp, and her underage grandchild’s queer identity. The action takes place in a run-down Budapest flat. The realistic performance of Mundurczó’s fantastic company is a must see. » – Profil (Austria)


« Proton Theatre’s world premiere was greeted with exultant celebration at the Wiener Festwochen. Mundruczó’s new production is a triptych in terms of content: each act focuses on one character – mother, daughter, grandchild. In-between there is a jump in time, which the director presents with a breathtaking visual realisation. » – KURIER (Austria)


« This company is brilliant. (…) The characters they shape with empathy and love seem absolutely real, just as their relationships with each other. I would especially like to highlight Lili Monori’s acting. Watching her, watching them is a truly unique experience.» – ARD Audiothek (Germany)

Cast

dramaturgy Soma Boronkay, Stefanie Carp
set design Monika Pormale
costumes Melinda Domán
lighting András Éltető
music Asher Goldschmidt
choreography Csaba Molnár
artistic collaboration Dóra Büki
assistant director Soma Boronkay


production Proton Theatre – Budapest
coproduction Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe, Wiener Festwochen – Freie Republik Vienne, Comédie de Genève, Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa (Milan), HAU Hebbel am Ufer – Berlin, Festival d’Athènes-Épidaure, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Maillon – Théâtre de Strasbourg / scène européenne, International Summer Festival Kampnagel – Hambourg, Centre dramatique national d’Orléans – Centre-Val de Loire, La Bâtie – Festival de Genève

with the support of Számlázz.hu, Minorities Talents&Casting, Danubius Hotels
with the support of Cercle Giorgio Strehler

in co-production with Festival d’Automne

creation in May 2024

Biography of Kornél Mundruczó

Kornél Mundruczó graduated from the Budapest School of Dramatic Art and Cinematography in 2004, and quickly gained international recognition as a director. Pleasant Days (2002) won the Silver Leopard at Locarno; Delta (2008), Tender Son: The Frankenstein Project (2010), La Lune de Jupiter (2017) and Évolution (2021) were shown at the Cannes Film Festival; White God (2014) won a prize in the ‘Un certain regard’ section.


Since 2003, he has also been working in theatre and opera, notably with Proton Theatre, which he founded in 2009 with Dóra Büki to preserve maximum artistic freedom and produce independent shows, often on an international scale. In France, he presented Hard to be a god at the Novart Festival in Bordeaux in 2010 and at the Filature in Mulhouse in 2011, Disgrâce by J. M. Coetzee at the Avignon Festival in 2012, and Imitation of Life, by Kata Wéber, at the MC93 in 2018. He has also directed productions in Germany, Poland, Switzerland and Belgium.