Diary of One Who Disappeared. Festival Szinhaz Budapest
June 3rd 2019
This was a most fascinating piece of theatre. It has travelled around the world – whether with all the original team I do not know but certainly there are a fair number of Dutch names on the (minimal) programme.
I did not know anything about the work – or indeed the story other than a vague sense that it was the autobiographical a dining room table, telling of a late-life passionate love affair by Janacek. I still can’t decide whether this was a disadvantage or not as there were Hungarian subtitles, the songs were sung in Czech but the dialogue was in English!
The set was a low-ceilinged rectangular box on the stage which gave an intriguing claustrophobic effect; the walls and ceiling were all black but the ceiling could be (and was) illuminated by individual lights at various stages in the performance. On the stage were four domestic locations, going (form audience left to right), a modern kitchen, a lounge-type setting with a piano and a bed. After seeing the work, I thought that these could be said to represent the journey of life – beginning in the kitchen (the creation of food and recipes) the dining room (eating and growth), the lounge (life as it develops) and with the arts (piano) and finally sleep/death (the bed).
Absolutely satisfying as one was not aware for the whole performance of any one element dominating e.g. a sudden lurid light effect, a sensational piece of stage business.
The performers – the pianist, two singers, one male, (the composer/central figure as a young man), one female and one other older male – the composer/central figure in later life who watched and occasionally commented upon his younger self. At the end he went to the bed and, slowly drawing up the covers, lay down, presumably for death; very simple but powerfully moving.
If you have the chance to see this, DO SO. It is superb and has moved around the world; it has certainly been at BAM in New York. Would ove to hear from anyone who has also seen this to get your take on it; did you Canute Malcolm…?