"I'm interested in the whole world created around Darabos Street and the theatre created (largely on an imaginary stage) by Csokonai. And the stories of the obstacles he faced. His failures, his frustrations. How was this utterly modern and European spirit forced into the snow-stricken, heatwave tortures of this Hungarian province? Was he inherently inclined to conflict? Were the fractures in his life caused by his environment? By human deficiencies? The environment in which we move and breathe from day to day undoubtedly defines the way we feel, even our mental state, through both the invisible past and visible present of the place. This evening will also help to shed some persistent misconceptions. Debrecen is not always such an unfriendly place, and not every Protestant is deadly serious. All this discipline leaves you in ruddy good health!”
Who could be a more suitable choice from among contemporary Hungarian poets for a 21st Century reinterpretation of the artistic life of the Hungarian poet Csokonai than János Térey, author of the lines quoted above, born in Debrecen and bound to the city by a thousand threads? He has risen to the highest ranks of contemporary Hungarian literature, with the Attila József and Babéroszorú prize-winning poet's above-mentioned ideas bringing new perspectives and original, fresh points of view to the ‘methodologies' of the popular Müpa Budapest Poetry Evening series, while his innovative approach also serves as an inspiration to the outstanding artists of the Katona József Theatre.

The production's cooperating partner is the Katona József Theatre.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest