Parallax

"Three generations of one family. One small flat in Budapest. The grandmother is declining to accept a medal of honour as a Holocaust survivor; the daughter needs proof of her Jewish identity to secure a school place for her son in their new home in Berlin; the adult son is seeking out his own identity as a homosexual man. They all have the same questions: can we liberate ourselves from inherited identity ascriptions? When is identity a privilege, when is it a burden? It all depends on the point of view. With Parallax (the term describes the apparent change in the position of an object at different angles of view) the Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó and his independent company Proton Theater develop an epic family tale and in doing so draw a deeply touching picture of conventions situated between Eastern European Judaism and the LGBT+ community who are enduring innumerable restrictions in Hungary." (Carmen Hornbostel, dramaturg, Wiener Festwochen)

"Mundruczó doesn’t make our situation any easier. His theatre is unsettling. His masterful company, Proton Theatre performs at the Wiener Festwochen for the seventh time." (Die Presse - Austria)

"The word ’play’ is far from sufficient to describe what we see on stage. Proton Theatre from Budapest, founded by Kornél Mundruczó 15 years ago, is a theatrical wonder. The acting is perfectly lifelike. It is impossible to imagine that they do not identify with their characters – despite the fact that we’ve already seen most of them in various different roles over the last few years." (nachtkritik.de - Germany)

"The Wiener Festwochen is one of the most significant theatre festivals of Europe. Kornél Mundruczó’s Proton Theatre, a company that is under heavy political pressure, presents Parallax, a performance from Hungary, a country governed by an authoritarian regime. (...) It says a lot about the present, what it means to be Hungarian and to live in Hungary, to be Hungarian and not to live in Hungary. (…) To date the most political performance of Proton Theatre focusing on social issues. This year they did not receive any support from the Hungarian state, so the strange situation arose that several European theatres will present Parallax, but it will not be shown in Hungary. "Without support, we cannot play in Hungary." – explained Kornél Mundruczó and his colleague, producer Dóra Büki." (Deutschlandfunk Kultur - Germany)

"The art of Kornél Mundruczó is characterized by a theatricality that is deeply imbued with thoughts. The performance Parallax, which he produced together with his independent company, Proton Theatre, is one of the highlights of the Wiener Festwochen. In a visual world that alternates between hyperrealism and poetic surrealism, this world premiere unveils the weight of transgenerational trauma through the stories of three generations that have lost their identities as a result of the Holocaust. Using the sensual power of theatre Mundruczó formulates a valid statement that goes beyond what is learned and experienced." (Die Deutsche Bühne - Germany)

"The highlight of the Wiener Festwochen is a world premiere that will not be shown in the director’s home country, Hungary. Marginalised groups are put in the focus: the family of a Jewish woman who was born in a concentration camp, and her underage grandchild’s queer identity. The action takes place in a run-down Budapest flat. The realistic performance of Mundurczó’s fantastic company is a must see." (Profil - Austria)

"Proton Theatre’s world premiere was greeted with exultant celebration at the Wiener Festwochen. Mundruczó’s new production is a triptych in terms of content: each act focuses on one character – mother, daughter, grandchild. In-between there is a jump in time, which the director presents with a breathtaking visual realisation." (KURIER - Austria)

"This company is brilliant. (…) The characters they shape with empathy and love seem absolutely real, just as their relationships with each other. I would especially like to highlight Lili Monori’s acting. Watching her, watching them is a truly unique experience." (ARD Audiothek - Germany)

"Kornél Mundruczó and his Budapest company, Proton Theatre, are regular guests at the Wiener Festwochen. Their world premiere is a raging flood of words and images about the present life of Jews, the LGBTQ+ reality in Hungary and about the great decisions of life in light of threatening political changes. As we’ve seen before, the essential message in Mundruczó’s work often lies beyond the text, in the images." (Kleine Zeitung - Austria)

"The truth of Kata Wéber’s dialogues is hard and unquestionable. (…) In Parallax we see various lives, all injured and traumatized." (Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany)

"Dense and concise, but never didactic dialogues alternate with magnificently lavish playfulness in Parallax. The light streaming through the window beautifully indicates the time of day. The director masterfully combines live video with the scenes on stage, mixes realism with the ancient magic of theatre, and makes us laugh, only to be followed by dead silence in the auditorium." (Der Standard - Austria)

"A moving and humorous show about the issues of identity, spiced with wonderful choreography and extravagant lighting." (FALTER - Austria)

"How is identity formed and what does it mean? Director Kornél Mundruczó and Proton Theatre ask the question in their guest performance at the HAU in Berlin. (…) Mundruczó very cleverly takes the individual definition of identity through the example of people connected to each other in different ways in certain ages and social situations." (Berliner Morgenpost - Germany)

"As Proton Theatre doesn’t receive state support, their show, Parallax will not be shown in Hungary. All this gives a little taste for artists in Germany in case AfD would come to power: performances dealing with the Holocaust or LGBTQ+ issues would become undesirable in Germany as well." (KULTURA-EXTRA - Germany)