“World Theatre in Szolnok” During the 1970s : Gábor Székely: The Drake’s Head, 1973

Abstract

Gábor Székely’s stagings of Örkény, Chekhov, Molière and Shakespeare in Szolnok during the 1970s overshadow his mise-en-scène of Gácsérfej (The Drake’s Head), whose significance is almost made imperceptible by the unfamiliarity of the play (and its author), and the complete absence of its stage history in Hungary. However, the 1973 performance of George Ciprian’s play illustrates the far-reaching boldness of the effort that “we want to create world theatre here in Szolnok”, which could be the motto of the Székely Era in this small Hungarian town. The essay outlines how The Drake’s Head developed into the essence of this ambition, and how free from orthodoxy Székely handled “committed political theatre”, even against the expectations of the authorities.