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The I.L. Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest participated, with three representations of the show The Tempest by William Shakespeare's, in the International Theatre Festival, organised by the People's Art Theatre in Beijing (TAPB). This theatre company, founded in 1952, has enacted over 300 shows in various styles, ranging from classical Chinese themes to adaptations after Molière. The international festival it has been organising for eight editions has become a cultural brand of China, with the participation of numerous national and international theatre troupes. To the current edition, besides the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest, which represented Romania, troupes from Poland, Russia, Lithuania, France and China were invited. The National Theatre tour in Beijing was a huge challenge for both Romanian and Chinese audiences, with so different cultural references. "The multi-awarded show with significant international successes" The Tempest ", in a more than amazing enactment, in which director Alexander Morfov combines classical nuances with modern ones, humorous emotions, impressed the audience in Beijing who watched it fascinated for three hours" , reports the Romanian Cultural Institute, the main financial supporter of the NTB tournament in Beijing. "The renowned actor Ion Caramitru in the role of Prospero offered the audience an acting performance of great force and sensitivity. Alongside other actors, Crina Semciuc (Miranda), Istvan Teglas (Ariel), Mihai Calin (Caliban), Ciprian Nicula (Ferdinand), Andrei Finti (Alonso), Ioan Andrei Ionescu (Antonio), Gavril Patru (Sebastian), Vitalie Bichir (Gonzalo), Mihai Calotă (Trinculo), Marcelo-S Cobzariu (Stephano), Alexandra Poiana (the Nymph), Eduard Carlan, Madalin Mandin, Ionut Toader, Axel Moustache and Eduard Adam shall certainly linger in the lifetime memory of Beijing spectators". "The show was great!", "Romanian theatre is excellent!", "I really liked it, the team of actors has a high artistic poise!" The National Theatre of Romania has a high level, the actors are excellent, and especially they have a vivid body language, contributing to a great extent to the success of the show. " Here are some of the audience's reactions at the end of the play, according to Luo Dongquan of China Radio International (CRI). The actors spoke in Romanian, but the script was translated by Shang Xiaolei and Pang Jiyang. Shang is an English translator and Pang is the head of the Romanian language department at the Beijing University of Foreign Studies. The Chinese translation was projected on the monitors that framed the stage, CRI reported. The three performances took place to a full house, remarkable being the presence in the audience of an impressive majority of young people. During the festival, Ion Caramitru, this time also in his capacity as General Manager of NTB, held a conference on the Romanian theatre, with a focus on the activity of the Bucharest National Theatre. The conference was moderated by one of the most renowned Chinese theatre actors, Pu Cunxin, who will soon play the role of Prospero, a role that Ion Caramitru presented to Beijing audiences. The actors' performance, the direction and scenography helped captivating the Chinese audience, providing a bridge that scattered cultural differences. Because, above all interpretations or cultural differences, NTB's "Tempest” is a show conceived in a universal language, a play about the demiurgic power of art and imagination.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

An eventful summer is announced for the concert-show of the National Theatre of Bucharest, directed by Ion Caramitru, Magic National, which pursues its success wherever it is presented, enchanting the audience through musical tunes filled with sensibility and temperament, in performances stirring rapturous applause at open stage, meant to reward both actors and musicians. After last summer’s success at Ohrid Summer Festival, Magic National has received a series of further invitations to participate in national and international festivals.On 27th June 2018, on the closing evening of the "Citadel Myths" International Theatre Festival, at its third edition this year, Magic National can be witnessed in the Ovidiu Square of Constanţa.Actors Ion Caramitru, Medeea Marinescu, Marius Manole, Tania Popa, Istvan Teglas, Anca Sigartău, Lari Giorgescu, Aylin Cadîr, Eduard Adam, Florin Călbăjos, Emilian Mârnea and Petre Ancuţa, masterfully accompanied by Emy Drăgoi, the king of accordion jazz and his bands, 3D Pro`ect, Jazz Hot Club Romania, together with percussionist Lucian Maxim shall offer the people present at the Constanta festival a fabulous evening of music, dance and poetry. "A unique representation in the theatre landscape which amazes through the mastery of blending music with word and body movement, a delight for any spectator", stated theatre critic Ileana Lucaciu about this show.At the beginning of August, Magic National shall have a representation on the stage of the International Theatre and Jazz Festival of Nishville, Serbia, and at the end of August, the Caragiale’s Bucharest Festival, at its seventh edition, event organized by the Mayor’s Office of the Bucharest Municipality through the Ion Creangă Theatre shall offer the inhabitants of Bucharest the opportunity of watching an open-air Magic National, on a stage located in Cişmigiu Park.In the conclusion of the NTB season, on Sunday 1st July 2018, from 8.00 p.m., the Bucharest audience is invited to the Grand Hall to discover the magic formula of this concert, to the success of which most beloved names of the stage contribute, alongside major musicians. Tickets for this last representation on the premises can be purchased from the NTB box office, (from the Grand Hall foyer) or online, on www.mystage.ro.

At the end of a successful season, the National Theatre of Bucharest arrives this month on the Asian continent, to China’s capital, with one of the most appreciated artistic achievements of the last seasons. Upon the invitation of Beijing People's Art Theatre and taking into account the profile of the International Theatre Festival of Beijing and the coordinates of the hosting theatre (Capital Hall, with over 900 seats), the ”I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre shall present The Tempest by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Morfov, with Ion Caramitru in the role of magician Prospero. Multi-awarded show, which already reaped a few significant international successes, The Tempest in this version for the stage is ornate with the spectacular stage set of Bulgarian Nikola Toromanov, as complicated, as it is easily adaptable to different performance spaces. Organised in the time frame 22 June - 8 July 2018 by the renowned theatre from China’s capital, the festival includes three representations of the Romanian show The Tempest, on the days of 22, 23, 24 June 2018, from 7.30 p.m., which shall take place on the main stage, Capital, in a hall of over 900 seats. The Beijing People’s Art Theatre was founded in 1952 by Cao Yu (1910-1996), considered in China the most important playwright of the 20th century, who revolutionized inland drama, pioneer of the Huaju genre (theatre based on word and marked by Western influence), author of plays, such as: Thunderstorm (1933), Sunrise (1936), Peking Man (1940) – cherished as one of the chefs d’oeuvre of modern Chinese drama, The Family (1942), The Bridge (1945), Courage and the Sword (1961), Wang Zhaojun (1979). The history of this theatre commences after the formation of the People’s Republic of China, more precisely in 1956, when Cao Yu chooses the Capital Hall, after his appointment as manager of the future People’s Art Theatre, position which he held until his death, according to Wikipedia. Under the leadership of Jiao Yuyi, starting with the eighties of the past century, the theatre troupe gains a new momentum, as famous actors were joined by more and more young and gifted actors. Over 300 plays from different eras, Chinese and foreign, have been performed in the theatre halls. In the six decades of activity, the People’s Art Theatre from China’s capital has made itself known worldwide, its shows being represented on numerous stages from the Unites States of America, Europe and Russia, but also Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao. Beside the Capital Hall, the theatre owns two further show halls, one being based on the theatrical experiment, the other, the first Chinese hall baptized after the name of a famous director, Ju Yin, is intended for introducing the wide audience to the performing arts. From a decade to another, this theatre has developed a unique style, has gained more notoriety, through various enactments and notable artistic achievements, presenting a rich repertoire, from the classical to the experimental one, being visited by millions of spectators yearly. This major tour of the National Theatre of Bucharest represents a significant endeavour of Romanian cultural diplomacy, contributing to the tightening and deepening of relations with one of the greatest countries of the world, opening the path for the continuation of an active dialogue in this field. The tour is produced with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute and Allianz Ţiriac Insurance.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Exhibition of Japanese prints – Kabuki actors and theatre scenes, from the George Șerban collection – 12th June 2018 Kokaji, a NOH theatre play, in the performance of the Yamamoto NOH Theatre Company of Osaka, Japan – 19 June 2018       Cultivating for a long time a true privileged relationship with Japan, the ”I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre shall host, during a single week in June 2018, two exceptional cultural events, intended to get the Romanian audience acquainted with two of the major types of traditional Japanese theatre – Kabuki and Noh - by means of an exhibition and theatre play, respectively. On Tuesday, 12th June 2018 from 6.30 p.m., in the foyers of the Studio Hall of the National Theatre, the Romanian audience shall be presented for the first time with a curatorial selection of over 140 Japanese prints from the 18th and 19th centuries, with Kabuki actors and theatre scenes, originating from the George Șerban private collection. The exhibition shall be followed by the publication of a dedicated album. The George Șerban prints collection comprises over 1.000 works created by over 50 Japanese artists starting with the 17th century, pursuing with the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.   The Kabuki theatre has been the favourite subject of the major schools of Japanese artists from their history, which you can retrace in the exhibition, but also in the subsequent album. To each of the exhibited artists, an exhibition area is dedicated, which shall contain, beside the original works also a dynamic presentation with details from works and presentation information on the 8 screens surrounding the exhibition space. Curator: Cosmin Nasui Research and documentation: Alina Cretu, Alina Șerban, Alexandra Jianu Design and exhibition architecture Rizi Design. Restorer: Eugen Costache Sponsor: Șerban and Associates Law Office The album accompanying the exhibition is published by PostModernism Museum Publishing. A limited edition of 50 albums shall also be produced, accompanied by original prints. The exhibition shall be open from 12 June - 1 July 2018.   On Tuesday, 19th June 2018, from 7.30 p.m., you are expected to the Studio Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest to a theatre play which can rarely be witnessed outside Japanese borders. It is Kokaji / The Blacksmith, a Noh play (classical Japanese drama, whose origins counts over seven centuries of existence) in the performance of the Yamamoto Noh Theatre company. Kokaji is a dynamic play in two acts from the Kiri Noh category (play with supernatural characters and animals), the author being unknown. For the merits connected with the preservation and promotion of traditional values, Yamamoto Noh Theatre was included in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The company aims at continuing the tradition and making Noh known worldwide as a vivid and attractive form of classical theatre, which can be understood and appreciated by anyone. The leader of the Yamamoto Noh Theatre company of Osaka and of the eponymous name, well-known actor Yamamoto Akihiro is also the President of the Noh Theatre Actors’ Association of Japan. Through his company, he contributes to the promotion and transmission of unique values of one of the oldest forms of traditional Japanese art. For his activity, master Yamamoto Akihiro was bestowed in 2015 with the award of the Japan Foundation for ”Global Citizenship” and in the year 2017 with the award of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Yamamoto Noh Theatre Company is well-known and appreciated by the Romanian audience, where it was present in the last two years with several shows at the National Theatre of Bucharest (2016) and at the International Theatre Festival of Sibiu. The Kokaji show is performed on 19th June 2018 from 7.30 p.m., in the Studio Hall of NTB, with surtitles in Romanian. Spectators who shall view the Kokaji show shall have the opportunity of also visiting the exceptional Japanese prints exhibition in the foyers of the Studio Hall. Tickets are available at the NTB box office and online, on MyStage.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

  In the warm season, NTB invites you to its new Amphitheatre, on the roof of the Grand Hall The summer season brings to the Capital’s landscape a new outdoor playground, which shall bear the name Amphitheatre, located on theroof of the”I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre, at the highest level of the building, above the terrace offering a unique panorama of the Bucharest centre. The new Amphitheatre shall host, beside the shows from the current and future NTB repertoire, adapted to the conditions of this new space, also representations of other institutions interested in renting this space. The new stage can offer a unique framework for varied artistic manifestations, appropriate for the warm season, from May to October: theatre plays, recitals, concerts, fashion shows, jazz evenings, one woman and one man show etc. Not lastly, within the framework of the programme "Open Doors to Everyone", NTB actors are invited to propose projects especially dedicated to this space, which shall function in the summer season. With a capacity of 299 seats, arranged on seat rows in steps, the new Amphitheatre has the following features: The structure is located at the altitude +24.50 m / wing A1. At the same altitude, the following spaces are located: - The actual ”Hall”, with a surface of de 431,56 sqm; - 5 fitting rooms (93,33 sqm); - The foyer and space for the actors’ regrouping (103,22 sqm) ; - The technical booths for lights and sound (17,40 sqm) The performance space has a surface of approximately 230 sqm. The space has a wood imitation floor, practical from an acoustic point of view and more appropriate for the artistic act, covered with a stage carpet. There is no surmounted stage, but traversables can be installed. The space does not have an attic, nor backstage: the scenery can only be fastened through counterweights. The reflectors for the stage lighting are located under a metal semi-cylindrical canopy with a diameter of 2m, located circularly above the acting space. The Amphitheatre launch shall be hosted on the evening of 24th May 2018, when the guests to the event shall be able to try out the possibilities of the new NTB acting space, which opens the gates for the spectators at night, for a first summer season, which we wish to be as manifold as possible.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu    Photo gallery

On Monday, 7th May 2018, from 8.00 p.m., Alba Carolina Citadel, Alba Iulia In the Year of the Centenary, the Uniter Awards Gala arrives in Alba Iulia, in the Alba Carolina Citadel. The show shall take place on 7th May 2018, starting with 8.00 p.m., in a pavilion located on the esplanade between the Archiepiscopal Cathedral and the Roman-Catholic Church, especially built for this event, for the emblematic heritage of the Alba Carolina Citadel to also be the „scenery” of the Uniter Awards Gala. In Alba Iulia, a theatre for a day shall be erected! We invite you to get to know the artists participating in this year’s edition of the Gala. As of today, on www.uniter.ro and on the official Facebook page, the Uniter Gala expects you with news, interviews, video testimonials, supporters, the audience’s vote, thoughts about the Centenary. In order to know the artists better, the audience is invited to see the nominated shows as well. We are preparing, together, for the Gala show on 7th May, from 8.00 p.m. When we shall encounter the artists, when we shall join them in the moments of announcing the winners, wherever he/she may be, he/she can watch, live, the show on the channels: TVR1, Radio Romania Cultural and livestreaming on www.uniter.ro, taken over from the official Facebook page. The Uniter Awards Gala stops in Alba Iulia through the joint efforts of UNITER – producer; the Mayor’s Office of Alba Iulia City, the Alba County Council and the „Prichindel” Puppet Theatre – co-organisers; the Ministry of Culture and National Identity – donor; the Romanian Television – co-producer.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

On Friday, 27th April and Friday, 4th May 2018, from 7.30 p.m., in the Studio Hall of NTB, the theatre company of the Greek Cultural Association of Romania – Nostos, in collaboration with the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest and under the auspices of the Hellenic Republic Embassy to Bucharest presents Lysistrata by Aristophanes, translated by Giannis Varveris. The direction of the show is signed by Afroditi Ioannidou, choreography by Amalia Strinopoulou. Score: Pantelis Terezakis, stage design: Afroditi Ioannidou and Amalia Strinopoulou. Afroditi Ioannidou, director of the show "Lysistrata" performs the role of the priestess Lysimaha. Afroditi Ioannidou has been an actress of the Northern Greece State Theatre for 35 years. She has performed many lead roles and in the last years she dedicated herself to teaching the art of the actor and direction. She has been collaborating with Nostos since its very foundation. Through her knowledge and experience, she has successfully led the Nostos theatre team with exceptional results. The lead roles of the play are performed by actors of the Nostos theatre company, who have acted in all its shows over the last three years. Nostos has been founded and active in Bucharest since the year 2015. During all this period, it presented two plays at the National Theatre of Bucharest, The Free Besieged by Dionysios Solomos and The Trojan Women by Euripides. It participated in the Caleido Festival with the work of I. Kambanellis Nameless Story and is now presenting Lysistrata by Aristophanes. The ageless comedy by Aristophanes shows the writer’s admiration and respect towards the female sex, in contrast with the general perception of the society of the time, who wanted the woman to be limited to the household, marriage and maternal duties. Through the character Lysistrata, Aristophanes presents the contrasts of feminine psychology, rendering the woman attractive and efficient. She is delicate and at the same time dynamic, submissive and indignant, romantic and realistic, astute and pragmatic. Endowed with these features, Lysistrata realizes how absurd war is. Consequently, she concocts a clever way of blackmailing men, in order to coerce them to put an end to war and return to their homes and families. She urges women – Athenian and Spartan – to abstinence and makes them swear that they shall no longer give in to men until after the capitulation and the signature of the peace treaty. What an implacable dilemma for men!... But the weapon of love is invincible! By the end of the 75 minutes of show, you shall find out how the tricky situation has been solved. Translation and surtitles in Romanian are provided by Giorgos Papadopoulos.     Tickets are available at the Box Office of the National Theatre of Bucharest, as well as online, on www.mystage.ro   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

Come to meet Alecsandri and Caragiale at “Eminescu”! Under this caption, of inspired resonance, the fourth edition of the Romanian Theatre Tour continues, in Kishinev, launched traditionally in January, with two shows of the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre of Kishinev, presented in Iași and Bucharest, with a warm welcome from the audience and the press. In the second part of the tour, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre shall present in Kishinev, on 30th March 2018, from 5.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. two different shows. The Romanian Whim, based on the moments and sketches of Caragiale, shall be performed by Lari Giorgescu. The NTB actor has chosen to highlight, with a minimum of stage set and movement, the satirical meanders of Caragiale’s texts. "The Whim" is and is not a whim. A comical “one-man show” about the world of Caragiale, which does not differ very much from the Romanian world of nowadays, a series of situations meant to guide you towards a world of laughter and of the thought behind it. The other show which shall be featured by the National Theatre of Bucharest is created after Caragiale’s novella Lottery Tickets and is intended to offer the audience a surprising vision on the text. The director of the show, Alexandru Dabija, who ”sees enormously and feels monstrously”, makes a demonstration on how we can imagine / re-read, as moderns, a classical piece of writing. Or, as the stage director would say, a Caragiale in which drama blends gracefully with dark humour. Lottery Tickets was inaugurating in 2012, in full Caragiale Year, the first newly built hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest. From one year to another, the show would attain a remarkable success, both in Romania and abroad. In 2013, director Alexandru Dabija receives the Best Director Award at the UNITER Gala, and scenographer Helmut Stürmer the Best Scenography Award, followed by a similar prize at the Romanian Comedy Festival. In 2014, the show participated in the first edition of the MITEM Festival („Madach International Theatre Meeting”), organized by the National Theatre of Budapest, unde where it received an excellent welcome. In June 2017, Lottery Tickets was also very successfully performed on the Stage of the Grand Hall of the Slovak National Theatre of Bratislava, within the second edition of the ”Eurokontext s.k.” International Festival. The critics have appreciated through words of praise the qualities of the enactment, the directorial vision and stage design, the prowess and expressiveness of performers. Starring famous NTB actors: Gavril Pătru, Marius Manole, Ana Ciontea, Axel Moustache and the younger Corina Moise, Ilona Brezoianu, Eliza Păuna, Nicoleta Lefter / Valentina Zaharia, Mădălin Mandin, Daniel Hara, Mihai Munteniță, Eduard Cârlan, Ionuț Toader, Dragoș Dumitru – almost beginners at the moment of the premiere, nowadays themselves on the path towards consecration. The complete schedule of the fourth edition – 2018, of the Romanian Theatre Tour, which shall take place on the stages of the ”Mihai Eminescu” National Theatre of Kishinev – is as follows: 27th March from 6.00 p.m. – the show "The Red Drought", by Larisa Turea, directed by Petru Hadârcă (presented by the "Vasile Alecsandri" National Theatre, Iași) 28th March from 6.00 p.m. – the show "Chirița in the Province", by Vasile Alecsandri, directed by Ion Sapdaru (presented by the "Vasile Alecsandri" National Theatre, Iași) On 30th March from 5.00 p.m. – the mono-show "Romanian Whim", by I.L. Caragiale (presented by the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre, Bucharest) 30th March from 7.00 p.m. – the show "Lottery Tickets", by I.L. Caragiale, directed by Alexandru Dabija,( presented by the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre, Bucharest).   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

The historical drama The Blizzard by Barbu Ştefănescu Delavrancea, directed by Alexandru Dabija, starring Marius Manole in the role of Ştefăniţă Vodă shall premiere on the days of 6th and 13th March, from 7.00 p.m., in the Black Box Hall of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest. In The Blizzard, Alexandru Dabija reverses the historical discourse and its mythological load and achieves a „chronicle” of the times about the power games, the weakness and uncertainty of the state, about the way good and evil end up usurping each other. The show is a direct challenge to look at history with lucidness, beyond the depiction of the drama of neurotic Ștefăniță ‒ the image of a deplorable present in relationship to the haloed past ‒ and his cursed rule. Taking the side of a discrete and subtly ironic raisonneur, the director notices the imperfections which have eroded the mentalities and societies in search of identity. Dabija’s Blizzard is a witty recount on the state of the nation. With a vivid and uninhibited appearance, detached by the typical traditional enactments, the new show captures the essence of drama, and the scenery, reduced to few stage design elements, leaves a generous space for the characters and the acting performance to unfold. For impersonating one of the youngest and most controversial rulers of the Romanian Principalities, the director has chosen Marius Manole, beloved by the audience thanks to the sensitive and luminous characters which he has enacted. Faced with a true challenge, Marius Manole believes that this role does not resemble anything he has accomplished so far. About Ştefăniţă Vodă, the chronicles of the time record that he took the throne at a very young age (11years). After attaining the age when he could have effectively taken over power, he stumbles upon the decisional slowness of the elders of the Country Council. Impatient to become more famous than his predecessors, the unleashes the wrath against his opponents. After the victory however, as in romantic dramas, his turn to be punished is coming and his life is taken at the young age of 21. One of the bloodiest pages from the Moldavian history is regarded by Delavrancea on a Shakespearean note, the drama focusing on the games behind the scenes, on hidden motivations, most of them personal, with spectacular upheavals. Unlike his grandfather, Stephan the Great, to whom the ones around him never cease to compare him, deepening both his complexes and frustrations, Ştefăniţă ignores the advice of the experienced noblemen, surrounds himself with merrymakers of his own age, whereas the royal palace ends up resembling a pub. The generation conflict becomes loaded with dramatism when, vain by nature and dominated by despotic ambitions, Ştefăniţă decides to eliminate his adversaries from the country Council or the younger heroes. The threads of his sentimental life are also tangled up and shall bring about his end. The moment he decides to listen to the wise advice of his spouse, Lady Tana, descendent from the Basarab family, who feels responsible for the wellbeing of the country, the latter decides to put an end to the series of iniquities committed by Ștefăniță. The cast of the show features, alongside Marius Manole, further sonorous names of the NTB troupe, as well as younger colleagues. Ana Ciontea, Afrodita Androne, Ilona Brezoianu, Alexandra Sălceanu, Rodica Ionescu, Dorin Andone, Dragoș Ionescu, Marius Rizea, Alexandru Voicu, Emilian Mârnea, Mihai Calotă, Eduard Adam, George Piștereanu, Ionuț Toader, Mihai Munteniță are expecting you at the premiere. The choreography is led by Florin Fieroiu. Alexandru Dabija, the director of the show, also signs the scenography and video concept. This is the fourth show enacted by director Alexandru Dabija at NTB, after Duel, Lottery Tickets and Requiem.   The historical framework of the second play, composing, alongside The Sunset and The Star, the well-known Moldavian Trilogy, is replenished by texts by Dimitrie Cantemir, Ion Neculce and „The Physiologist” (folk book). In the Centenary Year, celebrating also a hundred years since the death of writer Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea, one of the major fighters for the political unity of Romanians, the National Theatre of Bucharest proposes you a new approach of the play, which came into the limelight 108 years ago on the stage of the important cultural institution located in the vicinity of the Telephone Palace, the first headquarters of the National Theatre of Bucharest.   In March, the new show from the NTB Black Box Hall shall have 4 representations which are already sold out: 4, 6, 13 and 24 March 2018. You are welcome to The Blizzard!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

The National Theatre of Bucharest announces the premiere of the show The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, on Thursday, 15th and Friday, 16th February 2018, from 7.00 p.m., in the Studio Hall. The longest-lived play of all times and genres, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, is expecting you with a double cast, consisting of popular NTB actors, to witness a story filled with suspense, blending dark humour, extreme situations, emotion and the twisted mind games. An irresistible classic thriller, in an elegant and attractive setting, created by the gifted scenographer Liliana Cenean and on a score imagined by composerVlaicu Golcea, perfect in order to replenish the atmosphere and sustain the tension. Erwin Şimşensohn signs the direction of this play. A … Mousetrap where nothing is what it seems to be, everyone has something to hide and surprises unfold at each wrong ... step. Thus, idyllic British scenery becomes over night the sight of a formidable detective novel, where every gesture represents potential evidence in court. At his second enactment on the stage of the National Theatre of Bucharest, after The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson, in 2016, director Erwin Şimşensohn has stood out through a series of shows created on major stages in the country, at the "Mihai Eminescu" Theatre of Botoşani, the "Fani Tardini" Drama Theatre of Galaţi, the "Maria Filotti" Theatre of Brăila, the National Theatre of Târgu Mureş, as well as the Jewish Theatre and the Excelsior Theatre – of Bucharest. His shows have participated in a few national festivals. In 2014, he was nominated for the UNITER Debut Awards. With the show Butterflies are Free he reaped, at the Theatre Festival of Buzău, the „Buzău Loves Theatre” Award (2017), and with Nameless Star – the „Best Director” Award at the festCO Romanian Comedy Festival (2016). If in England, the play has been performed without interruption for a few decades, currently reaching the impressive figure of 27.000 shows, whereas some acting creations have become a part of the Guinness Book of Records, the Romanian audience of the year 2018 has the opportunity of witnessing the first enactment of the legendary play on a stage of the National Theatre of Bucharest. In England, upon the wish of Queen Mary, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary, BBC featured a radio theatre version of a play by Agatha Christie. It was Three Blind Mice, the one which would become so famous, but under a new name - The Mousetrap. The first enactment of the play took place in November 1952, at The Ambassadors, and after two decades the show was moved to the ampler stage of the elegant St. Martin’s Theatre. Only six years after the premiere, The Mousetrap was already breaking the record, becoming the longest-lived show in the history of British theatre. The scenery was replaced for the first time in the year 2000, and the new work faithfully followed the initial concept for the stage. In the 66 years elapsed since the premiere, over 400 actors were part of the London cast and among the acting records we shall mention David Raven, the most long-lived impersonator of major Metcalf, featuring 4575 representations. Agatha Christie has written this play based on a real case, which took place in 1945: the death, under mysterious circumstances, of a boy who had been adopted by a farmer and his wife in Shropshire. When the authoress made a gift to her grandson, Mathew Prichard, of the copyrights to the text, she also set out a few conditions. Among these, the play was not meant to be brought to the big screen only after minimum 6 months since the last representation given in a theatre, and the spectators were invited to keep the secret from the end of the show. The Mousetrap had notable enactments on all continents, from Australia, South Africa, China, Korea, Turkey, Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Scandinavia, Venezuela up to the United States and Canada. Agatha Christie, designated by the Guinness Book of World Records – the best sold writer of all times, alongside William Shakespeare, stood out in the mystery novel genre, being surnamed the “Queen of Crime”. She published 80 novels and novellas of the genre, 19 theatre plays, being also the most translated author, into over 70 languages. For Agatha Christie, the show must be a kind of „horse race”, meaning always „somewhat amazing and a little disappointing”. We expect you to this amazing thriller, persuaded that, despite the predictions of the authoress, you shall not be disappointed at all. Starring some of the best-known actors of the National Theatre of Bucharest: Ileana Olteanu, Dragoş Stemate / Florin Călbăjos, Lari Giorgescu / Petre Ancuța, Simona Bondoc, Tomi Cristin, Ada Galeș / Cosmina Olariu, Mihai Calotă / Silviu Biriş, Gavril Pătru / Răzvan Oprea. As the first representations of this month have been sold out, in the conclusion of this presentation and upon the launch of the invitation, there is nothing left to us but reminding the authoress’ recommendation. Thus: We expect you to Monkswell Manor! By accepting the invitation to see this show, you shall become accomplices to a famous theatrical mystery, one of the best kept. We shall discover together who is the culprit, and it is up to us to perpetuate the secret from The Mousetrap, for the future spectators. The unexpected happens when the good spectators... are silent. Be part of the legend!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu