Hungarian National Dance Ensemble: Castles, Warriors, Frontiers

Action-packed dance drama based on István Fekete’s novel, The Testament of the Aga of Koppány

15 October 2023 | 7.00 pm

Müpa Budapest — Festival Theatre

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#Folk music #Folk dance
László Babocsai: Dávid Barka
Oglu, the Aga of Koppány: Attila Tókos
Rudolf Kales, imperial mercenary: Barnabás Bordás
Borcsa, a young girl: Júlia Paput
Zsuzska, Aga Oglu’s daughter: Ágnes Wallinger
Mrs. Babocsai, László’s mother: Zsuzsanna Eredics-Fekete
Ferenc Csomay, captain of the castle: Flórián Hajdú
Márkó Bogics, Croatian soldier: Barnabás Szeverényi
Old janissary, diviner: Sándor Juhász
Máté, a scribe: Balázs Ertl
Soldiers of the castle: Bence Fekete, Bence Zsombor Juhász
Mercenary: József Márk Csabai
Borcsa’s father, old man from the reeds: Attila Benedek
Young peasant girl: Beatrix Pálffyné Tóth
Csicsa, Romany smith: Gergő Sánta
Hungarian men and women of the castle, Turkish men and women, mercenaries, townsfolk: dancers of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble
The story is set in the theatre of a non-metropolitan city, where the company is preparing a dance production inspired by the novel, The Testament of the Aga of Koppány. The drama, which is based on a romantic novel, takes the audience back to the 16th century, offering a glimpse into the life of Hungarians defending the country against the Turks, as well as into the hidden, behind-the-scenes world of a modern dance performance. The two parallel stories highlight basic moral truths: the importance of showing consideration for each other, of respecting your opponent, of honesty and courage. All this is done in a light-hearted, cheerful way. There is a healthy dose of love intricacies, and passions rise in both the past and the present. This action-packed dance drama effectively blends arrangements of original folk music with Benjamin Eredics’s work, an award winner of Müpa Budapest’s 2020 Composition Competition.

This production of the Liszt Fest is presented by Müpa Budapest as a joint event with the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble.


Program guide
Hungarian National Dance Ensemble: Castles, Warriors, Frontiers – premiere
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