MÁRAI MONODRAMA IN AUCKLAND

We commemorated the 125th anniversary of Sándor Márai’s birth on 24 August in Auckland, at the Europe House.The Déryné Company flew all the way from Hungary to bring a cultural and theatrical experience to Hungarians living here.

Péter Havasi, member of the Déryné Company, performed a nearly one-hour monodrama based on Sándor Márai’sKassai őrjárat (Patrol in Kassa).

Many Hungarians from Auckland attended the performance, as such a cultural event is rare at this distance from Hungary.

The event was opened by Dr. Gábor Tamás Nagy, Hungary’s Ambassador to Wellington, who welcomed the participants and praised Sándor Márai’s rich cultural legacy in his speech.

Following this, Márk Kiss Domonkos, director of the Déryné Company, introduced the ensemble and spoke about how the Déryné Program, launched nearly four years ago, has become an essential player in Hungarian theatre life.

Péter Havasi’s monodrama was characterized by minimalist elements: there was no set or props, only the actor and a chair filled the empty space. Yet this proved more than enough, thanks to the outstanding, precise, and carefully crafted performance, and the strength of the text itself.

The passing of time was often marked by a change in position or by putting on or taking off a coat. Márai’s humor also came through perfectly in Péter’s performance, making the hour fly by.

By the end of the show, it was clear that the Hungarian community in New Zealand would be open to more similar — even regular — theatrical experiences.

Áron Darvasi