News

NTF 30 / NTF Otherwise

06 November 2020

The 30th edition of the National Theatre Festival will take place in multimedia format (online, TV, radio) from November 22nd to 29th, 2020, under the slogan NTF 30 / NTF OTHERWISE.

The artistic direction and the selection of the programme belong to the theatre critics Ludmila Patlanjoglu, Maria Zărnescu and Călin Ciobotari.

Sections

The current edition of the National Theatre Festival is built on the intention to put in dialogue the past with the theatrical present, the aesthetics of the creators of yesterday with the new forms of a present that is still looking for its identity. NTF 30 / NTF Otherwise provides premises for a deep meditation on the future. The structure below reflects this principle and puts it into practice.

NotforgettingTF aims to highlight part of the spectacular Romanian heritage established in recent decades. It is a section that involves revisiting and recovering the past, but also redefining the archive as a living space of memory. The ten selected shows are exemplary by the force of creation, by the depth and ability to articulate stage discourses about man and humanity. There are shows that impose a mandatory quotation in any type of history of the Romanian show after 1990.

UnrestTF refers to young people whose voices have been heard distinctly and constantly in recent years, certain bets of the present, increasingly well-formed figures in what could be called the new wave of Romanian theatre creators.

The art of the great ACTOR celebrates grace, virtuosity and fulfilment in the profession, qualities that have proven over time the leading artists of our theatre. The proposed recitals represent as many memorable art lessons of the actor. They stimulate and inspire, rejoice, and uplift spiritually. At the same time, they prove the strength of a creative triangle: actor - playwright (with an emphasis, in this section on Romanian drama) - director.

Premiere in NTF, continuing a tradition of the festival, presents for the first time a show of the TVR Production House, Caligula by Albert Camus.

The Hidden Show, a formula that borrows the title of a book by director Alexa Visarion, shifts the focus of interest from the finished stage product to the dynamics of the work process. It contains testimonials of creation, portraits and self-portraits of major creators, glances thrown inside the laboratory, revelations of the hidden show that always doubles the visible show.

Invited performances continue a successful tradition of the National Theatre Festival, highlighting the opening to the international artistic discourse and enabling the encounter of the public with great performances of the world.

"Words, words, words ..." is the discursive component of the current edition of the Festival. It proposes a series of colloquia and theatrical dialogues meant, on the one hand, to discuss major issues of the present, and on the other hand, to mediate the meeting with contemporary theatrical personalities.

The aesthetics of the pandemic represents shows born amid a crisis as a reaction of art to nothingness and as an effort of several creators to identify new aesthetic solutions, exits from deadlock. They are argument-shows, pleas for a lofty idea: no matter what happens, theatre must continue to exist.

NTF ON AIR is produced in partnership with Radio Romania Cultural and Radio Romania News. It contains a focus on Cristian Munteanu, the emblematic director who decisively influenced the Romanian radio theatre, revealed through seven shows and a play that bears his signature. The theatre man Emil Boroghină enjoys special attention, a unique voice in the Romanian theatre, founding director of the "Shakespeare" International Festival of Craiova and initiator of the only poetry theatre in Romania, the Poesis Theatre. The well-known show Vorba de cultura will host a series of exciting dialogues with young artists present in NTF. Further seven radio theatre performances validated by multiple international awards will complete this consistent ON AIR section.

Producers: UNITER - Romanian Theatre Union and Romanian Television
Cultural project financed by the Ministry of Culture
Project created in partnership with Bucharest City Hall through the Expo Arte Cultural Centre
Partner: Romanian Cultural Institute
Sponsor: „PROCULTURA” Foundation of Magdalena and Ovidiu Buluc
Main partner: MOL Romania
With the support of: Dedeman

Find out the latest news about NTF 2020 on the website www.NTF.ro, on the Facebook page and on the Festival’s Instagram account.

Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

YEN by Anna Jordan, 9G premiere at NTB 19 April 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest announces a new premiere as part of the 9G Program at NTB, dedicated to young independent artists: “Yen” by Anna Jordan, directed by Ciprian Chiricheș, with set design by Maria Constantin, and starring Teodora Antal, Diana Pomparău, Sevi Stan, and Mario Monțescu. The premiere will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., in the Sala Mică Hall The play Yen tells the story—at times brutal, at times deeply tender—of two brothers surviving almost entirely on their own in a suburb, with a mother unable to provide them with the care a child needs. Together, amid arguments and violence, the two teenagers try to discover what affection—and first love—feels like and how to express it, in the absence of a parental role model. Thus, first love becomes a tough test, full of innocence and missteps. How much of our social skills are innate, and how much are acquired through our environment and the education we receive? It is a long-debated dilemma that remains relevant today, which author Anna Jordan explores with harshness and directness, yet with care and sensitivity toward her characters. Yen is about growing up, about family, and, above all, about the fundamental human need to love and be loved. „What won me over from the very first reading was the sincerity with which life—and, in particular, hope—is portrayed. In real life, things aren’t like in fairy tales, where Prince Charming appears out of nowhere and sets everything right. In reality, we often long for something we cannot have, and then that feeling becomes even stronger; this sentiment is very well conveyed by the author. The production that we put together with the team is based on desire and hope. I hope it’s contagious and that the audience leaves, just as I like to leave the theater—changed, pensive, with my thoughts on my loved ones.” Ciprian Chiricheș, the director of the production Anna Jordan is a renowned British playwright, director, and screenwriter. She graduated from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) with a degree in acting and is a professor of acting. For her play “Yen,” she won the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting (2013) Cast: Sevastian Stan, Mario Monțescu, Teodora Antal, Diana Pomparău. Regie Ciprian Chiricheș, set design Maria Constantin, sound design Teodor Zamfir and llighting design Cristian Ciopată. This performance is not recommended for children under 14. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Magda Catone is the Mother-in-law in Little Hell 04 April 2026

Starting on April 4, 2026, renowned National Theater actress Magda Catone will play the role of the Mother-in-Law in Mircea Stefanescu's comedy Little Hell, taking over from Rodica Popescu-Bitanescu, the actress who has brought this delightful role in Romanian drama to life in recent seasons, continuing the series of anthological performances, from Natasa Alexandra, Silvia Dumitrescu-Timica to Ileana Stana Ionescu. At the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theater, the play Little Hell has had over 300 performances since its premiere in 2013! The next performances will take place on April 4, 8, and May 2, 2026! Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

A new premiere at the National Theater of Bucharest: “The Bride's Time and Her Gown” – a continuation of the world of Oltenia created by Gavril Pătru 02 April 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest will present, starting April 3, 2026, the premiere of “The Bride's Time and Her Gown″ (The Wedding) by Gavril Pătru, a new chapter in the theatrical universeinaugurated by the success of “Ghosts and Dandelions.” The second part of the upcoming “Oltenia trilogy,” the play continues the story of the characters from a contemporary Oltenian village, in a recognizable blend of humor, drama, and authenticity. Created by Gavril Pătru—who serves as writer, director, and actor—the new play offers a glimpse into a world where tradition and inner conflict coexist, and laughter and tension intertwine naturally. This time, the action revolves around a wedding—a seemingly festive setting that becomes the backdrop for an avalanche of tragicomic events. Amidst the musicians, stuffed cabbage rolls, and zaibăr, uncomfortable truths surface, appearances crumble, and hidden dramas are revealed. Nothing is what it seems, and the masks fall one by one, in a universe where even those who do not speak end up saying it all. Dynamic “like the rush of a sârba” and, at the same time, profound “like a doina,” the new play by Gavril Pătru offers an intense theatrical experience, where laughter and emotion converge in a story about family, identity, and truth. “The Bride’s Watch and Shirt” preserves the distinctive language and atmosphere of the Oltenia region that established Gavril Pătru’s reputation, shaping a vivid world, full of color and expressive power. The play can be viewed independently, yet it stands in direct dialogue with “Ghosts and Dandelions” developing the same destinies and delving deeper into the themes already explored. The cast features actors from the National Theater of Bucharest, in a lineup that supports the show’s brisk pace and energy: Costina Cheyrouze, Raluca Petra, Ileana Olteanu, Petre Ancuța / Ciprian Nicula, Gavril Pătru, Alexandra Sălceanu / Teodora Calagiu, Maia Morgenstern / Victoria Dicu, Silviu Biriș. On April 2 and 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., in the lobby of the Pictura Hall, immediately following the preview performances of the play, there will be a book launch for “Ceasu’ și cămașa miresii” (The Bride's Time and Her Gown) by Gavril Pătru, a special event that complements the theatrical universe of the play of the same name. The book brings to life the same recognizable world created by Gavril Pătru: a vibrant Oltenian village, full of humor, tension, and poetry, where the characters’ destinies intertwine between tradition and contemporary reality. The audience will have the opportunity to meet the author, discover the behind-the-scenes of the creative process, and get autographs. The official premiere of the production will take place on April 18 and 19, 2026, at the Pictura Hall; the production is already scheduled in the NTB’s current repertoire for April 8 and 9 and May 9, 2026. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Premiere at NTB: A play about the hypocrisy of today's world 13 March 2026

Starting March 13, 2026, you are invited to a new production, Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses by Claudiu Goga after Arthur Schnitzler, at the Studio Hall of the I.L. Caragiale National Theater in Bucharest. A hot topic, even though the author, considered one of the most important representatives of Austrian modernism, imagined it in 1912, a time when many of the issues addressed in the play were more than sensitive, if not taboo. At Dr. Bernhardi's clinic, a teenager is fighting sepsis following a botched abortion. The priest is denied access to the dying girl's room for her last rites. The inevitable death occurs. The incident quickly becomes a topic of national debate: can a Jewish doctor forbid a Catholic priest from comforting a Christian on her deathbed? Based on Arthur Schnitzler's idea, director Claudiu Goga invites you to discover the astonishing story in which Dr. Bernhardi is drawn. A roller coaster of absurd situations, tensions, and contradictions in a world of political intrigue and careerism, where truth becomes a derisory fact amid obscure games of power and personal interests. Both a political play and a love story, written in the style of a detective novel, "Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses" speaks with lucidity and humor about the hypocrisy of today's world. A world in which people claim to fight in the name of principles and values, in the name of political ideologies and religious beliefs, in the name of truth and in the name of humanity. In reality, these are all pretexts. People fight only for their personal interests. Why? The answer is simple: people are people. In the role of Dr. Elias Bernhardi: Mihai Calin, joined by actors George Ivascu, Mirela Oprisor, Medeea Marinescu, Ofelia Popii, Alexandru Potocean, Ioan Andrei Ionescu, Richard Bovnoczki, Dana Dogaru, Ada Gales, Ionut Toader, and Tomi Cristin. Director Claudiu Goga had allies in bringing his vision to life: Corina Gramosteanu for set design and Nina Brumuasila for costumes. Video design was by Andrei Cozlac and Silviu Apostol. Music and stage movement were by Florin Fieroiu. The following performances will take place on: March 14, March 15, March 18, March 19 (official premiere), April 1, at 7 p.m. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

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