THEALTER Festival wraps 35th edition with focus on women and new voices
A Tíz hónap Babilon-ügy. Photo credit: thealterphoto2025
The 35th edition of THEALTER, Hungary’s long-running festival of independent theater, concluded Saturday in Szeged after eight days of performances that highlighted female creators and themes centered on women’s experiences.
Organized by the MASZK Association, the festival ran from July 26 to August 2, and for the first time in its history, featured a program where women-led works and female perspectives were in the majority. Alongside these, the festival also introduced audiences to members of the newest generation of independent theater-makers.
Dedicated to writer Ottó Tolnai, the anniversary program included adaptations of classical literature and contemporary drama, as well as puppet, dance, and concert theater, participatory and debate theater, and a celebratory performance. A total of 28 productions were presented at 7 venues. Audiences came from Szeged, Budapest, 52 settlements across 15 counties in Hungary, and from 8 cities in 7 other countries.
“The most defining guests this year carried different intensities of innovation and new beginnings,” said Réka Dorottya Szabó, a returning junior blogger who also co-hosted the Kritikus Szekció (Critics’ Section). She cited Talált tér, Lassan, A Tíz hónap Babilon-ügy, New Genesis, Kék Tesla, mostakkor., A Színházcsináló, and A Patkányfogó Projekt as key examples of the themes explored.
Anna Holpár, critic and member of the new editorial team at szinhaz.net, noted the city’s hospitality and the festival’s immersive atmosphere. She highlighted performances such as Apertúra: Brománc, Kövér Béla Puppet Theater: A Patkányfogó Projekt, and Szünet Együttes: Talált tér.
Kövér Béla Puppet Theater – A Patkányfogó Projekt. Photo by István Kuklis
Returning attendee Klára Ódor, a drama teacher and theater educator, described the festival as a “full-scale culture shock” that each night asked fundamental questions about human existence through a range of genres and individual narratives. She pointed to Kislányom, mondd, hogy nem igaz! and A Tíz hónap Babilon-ügy, as well as Andrea Fullajtár’s monodrama, as powerful experiences. Ódor noted the prominence of monodramas and small-cast productions in intimate settings, and described the closing monodrama marathon – featuring A Rudolf Hess tízparancsolata, Sex, Drugs, Gods & Rock’n’roll, and Kean, performed by Attila Harsányi – as a fitting conclusion to the eight-day festival.
The blog jr. series also continued this year, featuring photo-illustrated blog posts written by university students studying theater studies. In the daily livestreams of the Kritikus Szekció, Réka Dorottya Szabó and Tamás Jászay discussed the previous day’s productions with creators. The recordings are available on the festival’s Facebook page.
The main supporters of the 35th THEALTER Festival were the Municipality of Szeged, the Cultural Festivals College of the National Cultural Fund, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the National Cultural Support Office, Szeged Event and Media Center Nonprofit Ltd., the Szeged National Theater, and media partner Revizor – the critical portal. The festival was realized with support from the National Cultural Fund.
The article is based on the latest THEALTER press release.
Featured images via THEALTER.
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