News
The National Theatre of Bucharest starts its new season on September 17
After a record-breaking season, which counted no less than 18 premieres, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre opens its new season on September 17, 2023, with projects supported by directors whose presence was long awaited by the NTB Company.
Tompa Gabor started rehearsals with the play "Tango" by Slawomir Mrozek (assisted by Andrei Both, sets and costumes by Angela Balogh-Calin), with a brilliant team of actors including Rodica Negrea, Emilia Popescu, George Ivascu, Mihai Constantin, Emilian Oprea, Catalina Mihai, Maruca Baiasu, Matei Constantin. The premiere is scheduled for mid-October.
Silviu Purcarete returns to NTB after eleven years, together with his faithful team of collaborators (Dragos Buhagiar - scenography, Vasile Sirli - music), to stage, in an absolute premiere, Radu F. Alexandru's play "Gertrude", "one of the most daring lines given to 'the great Will' in universal dramatic literature" (according to Razvan Voncu). The director opted for a cast composed exclusively of male actors (Claudiu Bleont, Mircea Rusu, Marius Manole, Alexandru Potocean, Marius Bodochi, Paul Chiributa and Lari Giorgescu), and the premiere scheduled for the end of October is probably one of the most awaited of this season.
Two important titles from the great universal drama are also in the process of being developed, which in turn herald the promise of successful performances. Director Gelu Colceag has begun rehearsals for Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera" (set design by Liliana Cenean and Stefan Caragiu, choreography and stage movement by Roxana Colceag), a well-known musical that will showcase not only the acting skills but also the vocal and physical abilities of a formidable cast of actors, accompanied by a live orchestra: Marius Manole (as Mackie Sis), Mircea Rusu (as Mr. Peachum) and, in order of cast, Silviu Biris, Tania Popa, Aylin Cadir / Teodora Calagiu, Medeea Marinescu, Emilia Popescu / Raluca Aprodu, Rares Florin Stoica, Ovidiu Cuncea, Alexandru Georgescu, Mihai Verbitchi, Orodel Olaru, Silviu Mircescu, Mihai Muntenita, Daniel Hara.
In November, at the Atelier Hall, the premiere of Henrik Ibsen's "Nora" directed by Chris Simion-Mercurian, with Irina Movila in the title role, alongside Ioan Andrei Ionescu, Serban Pavlu, Tania Popa and Conrad Mericoffer. Set design will be by Maria Miu and choreography by Ioana Marchidan. The show will be produced in partnership with the "Grivita 53" Association - "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre.
Some of the performances that were released at the end of the previous season will be revived in the first days of the new season: Arthur Wing Pinero's comic burlesque fantasy "The Magistrate", directed by Dan Tudor at the Ion Caramitru Hall, will have its official premiere on 1 October 2023, and Oana Pellea's disturbing confessional performance "Silent Escape", "based on the text and experience of a human phenomenon by the name of Lena Constante", will be available to share with the actress in the Atelier Hall from 28 September 2023.
The "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest has been invited again this year to the Meeting of Romanian National Theatres in Chisinau (8th edition, which will take place under the title "So close"), where it will present, on September 22 and 23, 2023, two new performances from the NTB's current repertoire: "Histrionics" by Thomas Bernhard, directed by Alexandru Dabija and "The Welkin" by Lucy Kirkwood, directed by Gelu Colceag.
The Ion Sava Creation and Research Centre of NTB will continue to organize workshops with personalities of the theatre world. Thus, from September 15 to October 15, 2023, a theatre directing workshop led by director Silviu Purcarete will take place, whose theme will consist of a studio/workshop on Scene II, Act I of William Shakespeare's play "Richard III". The workshop is aimed at professional directors (theatre directing studies, bachelor's or master's degree). It also continues with a new phase, the documentary theatre workshop, led by director David Schwartz, on the theme of Personal Development Practices. The workshop, which began in March with the research phase, is structured over a one-year period and will culminate in a performance in spring 2024, based on a script developed by the renowned director.
The season of exhibitions hosted in the NTB foyer also gets reopened, with the premiere presentation of the costume and set sketches of Vasile Velisaratu (1895 - 1978), former painter and set designer of the National Theatre of Bucharest, a necessary restitution effort thanks to the artist's granddaughter, the graphic artist Liana Axinte and the heirs.
The schedule of NTB performances can be found on the theatre's website, www.tnb.ro
Tickets can be purchased both online and at the recently reopened Ticket Office.
In response to the requests received from the audience, the National Theatre has unified the starting time of the performances, scheduled from now on (with rare exceptions) at 7 pm.
Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu
