The Nightmares Are in the City – and in the People

Beginning on March 28, the Brighella Puppet Section will stage H. C. Andersen’s tale in an adaptation by Attila Szabó. The production is scheduled to be performed more than forty times in the coming weeks, as The Nightmares Are in the City is included in both the Tiny Tots and Primary School subscription series.

The production is directed by Dániel Halasi, Artistic Director of the Csokonai National Theatre in Debrecen. As he explained, he has recently been directing large-scale productions for children and young audiences, making it particularly refreshing to return to his original field and once again communicate ideas through the art of puppetry.

“After a great deal of reading, I came across Andersen’s story, and I was immediately captivated by its imagery and by the absence of a fairy godmother, which resonates with my own creative work. The story touches on war, something children encounter in one form or another, and which also creates tension in adults, even if we have become accustomed to the fact that a war is taking place next door. Andersen’s tale is dark, harsh, and offers no resolution, but together with Attila Szabó we managed to create a version that speaks humorously about the problems of our own time. Our production is also about the necessity of stories: children and adults alike need them, because stories are a remedy for every sorrow,” says the director.

In Andersen’s tale, the Fairy of Stories visits people only when she feels like it. But what happens if she does not come? If we cannot find her in the desk drawer, under the bed, or somewhere between laughter and tears? Then we must set out in search of her.
That is exactly what our hero, Pömpöllér Regelaki, does. Yet instead of finding the Fairy of Stories, he encounters the Marsh Witch, who tells him about the nightmares. Help is urgently needed, because the nightmares have already arrived in the city. It takes a truly remarkable person to gather them all and return them to the marshlands before they confuse and corrupt people’s souls. Our hero embarks on this quest and does everything that heroism demands. Afterwards, we may wonder whether he ever found the Fairy of Stories at all. (A little hint: he did.)

The cast includes Tibor Bandura, Tamás Nagy, Emese Bandura, Anikó Nagy, and Annamária Kófity. The visual world of the production was designed by Kinga Rófusz, while the puppets were created by Emese Bandura. Dániel Takács composed the music, and András Fosztó served as movement coordinator.

The Nightmares Are in the City is recommended for audiences aged three and above – and not only for children.