Samuel Beckett’s Drama in Hungarian Theatre History and Criticism before 1990

Abstract

The international and intercultural aspects of Samuel Beckett’s theatre have been widely recognised by an increasing number of scholarly works in the last few decades. This article offers a study of the pre-1990 reception of Beckett’s drama and theatre in Hungarian criticism and literary and theatre histories. Its focus is on critical and theoretical investigations of three of Beckett’s masterpieces for the stage, Waiting for Godot (1953), Endgame (1957), and Happy Days (1961), provided by Hungarian authors in Hungary or in Hungarian-language forums of the neighbouring countries. While mentioning all the premieres of the three masterpieces in Hungary during the given period, the article surveys and compares only those ideas across the various theatre reviews, which contribute to the Hungarian critical reception of Beckett and the selected works. To place the addressed pre-1990 Hungarian studies and reviews in the broader field, the article is framed by references to some relevant writings of international Beckett scholars.