EGG(S)HELL

Maladype Theatre, Hungary

Egg(s)Hell

Discovering the fragile beauty of the one-word-poem from the Hungarian poet Sándor Weöres (1913-1989) and choosing it as the Hungarian title (Tojáséj), the members of Maladype company are defining their relations (to each other and to themselves) without words into the natural language of our everyday plays. Innocent and innocent-looking games follow each other.
Spirit and delight of life are streaming from the music of Ravel and during the play the invisible theatre of everyday life also becomes visible.

Maladype Theatre    

Maladype Theatre is one of the best-known and most recognized independent companies of Hungary. Since its foundation in 2002, Maladype has made several productions (E. Ionesco: Jacques or Obedience, F. Holderlin: Empedocles, S. Wyspiański: Acropolis, A. N. Ostrovsky: The Storm), which have received great recognition by critics and audience, and which have won the most remarkable prizes in the Hungarian theatre world (best independent company, best independent performance, etc).

Led by artistic director Zoltán Balázs, the company has turned towards modern, original theatre forms and is in constant search for a new kind of theatrical language and a synthesis of different artistic genres, such as film, dance or opera. During these years the company has developed a unique and characteristic theatre style, deriving from concentrated and intensive workshops, the intensive stage presence of actors and their permanent and direct communication with the audience. Since September 2008 the company is working in Thália Theatre, Budapest, where all of their performances can be seen.

“Maladype Theatre is a company with members who are regularly participating in workshops and their physical fitness is enviable. Now it cannot be actually defined whether they are prose actors or artists of movement.
We are watching almost one and a half hour of constant moving mostly for the music of Ravel. But this is neither dance, nor ballet, rather a more and more impulsive, but at the same time naughty, childish espièglerie. As if kids with a great fantasy would just get into mischief and mess around with everything – including each other. Experiencing every little thing. Kissing an egg into each others mouth, or sniffing a raw egg with narcotic pleasure.
As a set – or sometimes a partner brought to life – there are thirty puppet-flamingos. Actors are pushing, placing them – once it seems like a pink army was organized, then they are hiding behind the birds or dancing with them.
The basic questions of theatre are asked. The question of how far an actor can be brought to the borders of physical and mental burden without suffering irreversible damage.”
Gábor Bóta – Népszava – December 2008

“Secret. Ancient. Modern. Antique. Childish innocence. Archly tricky. Obviously simple. Complicated as a Chinese teaser. Can not be understood whereas it is as clear as the break of the day on the riverside.”
Péter Molnár Gál – nol.hu – December 2008