Madách Theater (Madách Színház)

"The first Madách Theatre emerged in 1919 in the small hall of the Music Academy, a company primarily composed of actors who had returned from the front lines after World War I. This group, representing the intellectual heirs of the Thalia Company, focused on presenting works by Hungarian authors as well as modern European playwrights. Their most notable success was Tomorrow Morning by Frigyes Karinthy, which premiered on March 5, 1919, and ran for 100 performances. However, this theatre was short-lived, operating only for a little over a year before being evicted from the Academy of Music in March 1920. Their final performance was Dangerous Man by Nándor Korcsmáros. In 1940, a new Madách Theatre opened in the building at Madách tér, originally designed as a cinema by Gedeon Gerlóczy. István Károlyi, who purchased the building, relaunched the Madách Theatre with a 600-seat capacity. Its first performance on November 29, 1940, was Little Bird by Zsigmond Móricz, with Margit Dajka in the lead role. However, the theatre’s early years were challenging. In 1941, under the management of Andor Pünkösti, a well-known critic and director, the theatre adopted an anti-fascist stance and revived its programming with a fresh spirit. Pünkösti staged Luigi Pirandello's Henry IV, which premiered on September 19, 1941, and was a major success. The theatre’s dramaturgy, overseen by the esteemed theatre historian Géza Staud, aimed to bridge the gap between theatre and literature. Staud also helped launch the Madách Library, a 15-volume series of theatrical works that contributed to the intellectual foundations of the theatre’s programming. Other notable figures in the early years included Zoltán Várkonyi, Jenő Danis, and Zita Szeleczky. The theatre built a reputation for intimate performances and was committed to producing classical, contemporary world literature, and Hungarian drama. The Madách Theatre’s programme was heavily influenced by its desire to offer an intellectual and artistic platform, with a focus on psychological depth and direct audience engagement. Despite the challenges of working with a small stage, directors and designers constantly pushed the boundaries of set and costume design. For instance, Álmos Jaschik and his wife were frequent set and costume designers, alongside other talents such as Tibor Bercsényi and Miklós Neogrády. The theatre also fostered a studio for young artists, emphasizing voice training, physical exercise, and miming, preparing them for the challenges of performing in intimate settings. Over the years, the theatre has evolved into one of Budapest’s most important cultural institutions, continuing its legacy of presenting powerful and thought-provoking works."