Richard III Nominated for Three UNITER Awards
February 19., wednesday, 2025
The Harag György Company of the Northern Theatre Satu Mare has received nominations in three major categories for the UNITER Awards, presented by the Romanian National Theatre Union (UNITER).
UNITER published the list of nominated productions and creators for this year’s awards on its website on Tuesday. From the best performances of 2024, Daria Ancuța, Doru Mareș, and Maria Zărnescu selected nominees in various categories.
A nomination for a UNITER Award is a highly prestigious recognition in the Romanian theatre scene, and the Harag György Company’s production, Richard III, directed by István Albu, received three nominations: Zsolt Nagy Csongor, the lead actor, nominated for Best Leading Actor, István Albu, the director, nominated for the Lucian Pintilie Award for Best Direction. The production as a whole nominated for Best Performance.
“It is definitely a gratifying feeling to receive a nomination—not just one, but three! The nomination itself is a tremendous acknowledgment for every creator involved. Many people worked tirelessly to bring this production to life, as István Albu’s direction required combining a classical royal drama with ‘70s rock music. Alongside the acting, the music plays a major role, and my colleagues perform brilliantly as the band. It feels wonderful to have that support and commitment from fellow performers! I hope every theatre creator gets to experience this feeling,” said Zsolt Nagy Csongor, lead actor of the production.
The production premiered on December 20, 2024 under the direction of István Albu. With this staging of Shakespeare’s play, the company aimed to offer a historical classic in its repertoire, presenting one of the foundational works of universal theatre culture—one of the most frequently performed and quoted masterpieces—while simultaneously creating a contemporary experience that speaks to modern audiences, integrating references to recent history, rock, and pop culture.
Richard III is the latest installment in a long-running directorial program that spans multiple productions. The inclusion of live music offers a unique theatrical experience akin to a concert-show. In this production, famous American rock hits from the 1970s are performed on stage, with lead actor Zsolt Nagy Csongor becoming the singing alter ego of the murderous Richard III.
“The UNITER Award is a prestigious honor, and even being nominated is a major recognition. This year, Richard III has the second-highest number of nominations among all productions. This acknowledgment is meaningful not only for the nominees but for everyone involved in the production. It is also the result of years of effort to ensure that the Romanian theatre scene, which is heavily Bucharest-centered, recognizes our work. We’ve collaborated with many partners, notably our Romanian ensemble, with whom we organized joint mini-seasons, inviting UNITER selectors and theatre professionals. Similarly, the Bukarest festival co-organized with other MASZÍN member theatres helped us gain visibility and recognition. Even without awards, we are aware of the talent of our actors, productions, and guest directors, but feedback is essential for every theatre company. It is also important to carry Satu Mare’s reputation to different theatrical forums as cultural ambassadors of the city. This is why it is such a joy to see our long-term professional efforts become visible to outside observers. I am delighted that two individual performances were recognized, but it is equally gratifying that the production as a whole was nominated as a collective achievement. As company director, this fills me with pride—and hope,” said István Bessenyei Gedő, company director.
A nomination for a UNITER Award is a highly prestigious recognition in the Romanian theatre scene, and the Harag György Company’s production, Richard III, directed by István Albu, received three nominations: Zsolt Nagy Csongor, the lead actor, nominated for Best Leading Actor, István Albu, the director, nominated for the Lucian Pintilie Award for Best Direction. The production as a whole nominated for Best Performance.
“It is definitely a gratifying feeling to receive a nomination—not just one, but three! The nomination itself is a tremendous acknowledgment for every creator involved. Many people worked tirelessly to bring this production to life, as István Albu’s direction required combining a classical royal drama with ‘70s rock music. Alongside the acting, the music plays a major role, and my colleagues perform brilliantly as the band. It feels wonderful to have that support and commitment from fellow performers! I hope every theatre creator gets to experience this feeling,” said Zsolt Nagy Csongor, lead actor of the production.
The production premiered on December 20, 2024 under the direction of István Albu. With this staging of Shakespeare’s play, the company aimed to offer a historical classic in its repertoire, presenting one of the foundational works of universal theatre culture—one of the most frequently performed and quoted masterpieces—while simultaneously creating a contemporary experience that speaks to modern audiences, integrating references to recent history, rock, and pop culture.
Richard III is the latest installment in a long-running directorial program that spans multiple productions. The inclusion of live music offers a unique theatrical experience akin to a concert-show. In this production, famous American rock hits from the 1970s are performed on stage, with lead actor Zsolt Nagy Csongor becoming the singing alter ego of the murderous Richard III.
“The UNITER Award is a prestigious honor, and even being nominated is a major recognition. This year, Richard III has the second-highest number of nominations among all productions. This acknowledgment is meaningful not only for the nominees but for everyone involved in the production. It is also the result of years of effort to ensure that the Romanian theatre scene, which is heavily Bucharest-centered, recognizes our work. We’ve collaborated with many partners, notably our Romanian ensemble, with whom we organized joint mini-seasons, inviting UNITER selectors and theatre professionals. Similarly, the Bukarest festival co-organized with other MASZÍN member theatres helped us gain visibility and recognition. Even without awards, we are aware of the talent of our actors, productions, and guest directors, but feedback is essential for every theatre company. It is also important to carry Satu Mare’s reputation to different theatrical forums as cultural ambassadors of the city. This is why it is such a joy to see our long-term professional efforts become visible to outside observers. I am delighted that two individual performances were recognized, but it is equally gratifying that the production as a whole was nominated as a collective achievement. As company director, this fills me with pride—and hope,” said István Bessenyei Gedő, company director.
The UNITER Awards are the most important theatrical recognitions in Romania, presented annually at a gala by the Romanian National Theatre Union. This year’s gala will be held at the Marin Sorescu National Theatre in Craiova. The production with the most nominations was Stuart Mária by Andrei Șerban, directed at Satu Mare in the previous season (My Fair Lady). The Sepsiszentgyörgy Tamási Áron Theatre received two nominations for Vihar, directed by Viktor Bodó, a production also seen by the Satu Mare audience at the most recent IFESZT.
Interestingly, another production by the creators of Satu Mare’s Richard III is also among the nominees: István Albu’s staging of Liliom was nominated for Best Set Design, designed by Erika Márton, who also created the sets and costumes for Richard III. Satu Mare audiences also saw this production during the 2024 IFESZT festival.
Cast of Richard III: Zsolt Nagy Csongor, Stella Rappert-Vencz, Attila Diószegi, Blanka Moldován, Evelyn Budizsa, Orbán Nagy, Gyula Gaál, Gergő Frumen, Máté Erdei, Nándor Poszet, Attila Zsolt Péter, Sándor Varga, János Szilárd Szabó, Anna Sosovicza, Tamás Jankó-Szép, Zsolt Orbán, Gál Tibor Bodea, Johanna Bándi, Barbara Bogár, Ágnes Keresztes
Dramaturge: István Bessenyei Gedő, Musical Director: László Bakk-Dávid, Choreographer: Franciska Szabó, Assistant Director / Dramaturge Assistant: Ádám Balogh, Stage Manager: Ritta Szabó, Prompter: Katalin Varga
