Richard III Receives Two UNITER Awards

The UNITER Gala of the Romanian Theatre Union took place on Monday evening in Craiova, where the Harag György Company of the Northern Theatre of Satu Mare was represented in three categories. Zsolt Csongor Nagy, the leading actor of Richard III, was nominated in the Best Leading Actor category, István Albu was nominated for the Lucian Pintilie Award for Best Director, and the production itself received a nomination in the Best Performance category.

At Monday’s gala, two of the three nominations turned into awards: both István Albu and the production received UNITER Awards.

The director, who is also the head of the Figura Studio Theatre in Gheorgheni, accepted the award with surprise, thanking the company for the collaborative work that led to such recognition. He also expressed his gratitude for the positive atmosphere that accompanied the creative process, something he feels is becoming increasingly rare in contemporary theatre.
The award for Best Performance was accepted by István Bessenyei Gedő, Artistic Director of the Harag György Company. As he had stated previously, the nomination itself was already a major professional recognition, and given the strength of the competition, he himself did not expect that two of the three nominations would result in awards.

“First and foremost, my gratitude goes to this wonderful company, which I have had the privilege of leading for almost twelve years. I would also like to thank the audiences of Satu Mare, without whom productions like this could not come into being. We also thank UNITER for noticing this production, because geographically we are far from the university centres and the major centres of theatre criticism, yet it seems that our work is still visible, and that is a great joy for us. Alongside the tears of happiness, however, there is also a touch of sadness that the leading actor of the production did not receive the award, because I believe that his performance carries the entire production on its shoulders. Without him, we probably would not have received the other two awards either,” said the company’s artistic director regarding the recognition.

Under the rule of the House of York, England appears to be returning to peaceful times. The Wars of the Roses seem to be nothing more than a distant memory, softened by the passage of time. However, the unexpected death of King Edward IV shatters this apparent idyll: his brother Richard sets his sights on the English throne. Thanks to his political acumen, he keeps both allies and rivals firmly in his grasp. He does not shrink from fratricide, nor from shedding the blood of innocent children—his own nephews—if they threaten his power. Audiences witness the rise and fall of an unparalleled tyrant whose twisted figure cast a shadow over the history of medieval England. This timeless imprint of Shakespeare’s creative genius has not faded with time; unfortunately, the playwright’s observations on power and tyranny, on the eternal dialectic of human cruelty and vulnerability, and ultimately on human nature itself, seem to become increasingly relevant with each passing era.

Richard III is the latest installment of an ongoing directorial programme encompassing several productions. The live music integrated into the dramatic action offers audiences a unique theatrical experience, a genuine concert-show. On this occasion, world-famous American rock hits from the 1970s are performed on stage, while the band’s frontman becomes the singing alter ego of the bloodstained Richard III.

The cast of the production includes: Zsolt Csongor Nagy, 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, guest artist Tamás Jankó-Szép, Zsolt Orbán, Tibor Bodea Gál, Johanna Bándi, Barbara Bogár and Ágnes Keresztes.

The set and costume designer of the production is guest artist Erika Márton, the dramaturg is István Gedő Bessenyei, the musical director is László Bakk-Dávid, and the choreographer is Franciska Szabó. Ádám Balogh served as assistant director and dramaturgical assistant, while Ritta Szabó worked as stage manager and Katalin Varga as prompter.

The actor-musicians of the Harag György Company performing in the production are: Zsolt Csongor Nagy (vocals, bass guitar), Evelyn Budizsa (vocals, violin), Attila Zsolt Péter (lead guitar), Máté Erdei (bass guitar), Zsolt Orbán (drums), Blanka Moldován (keyboards, vocals), Stella Rappert-Vencz (keyboards, vocals), János Szilárd Szabó (saxophone, drums), and Tibor Bodea Gál (trumpet).