The Déryné Festival is being held for the sixth time between 15 and 18 July; Over four days, more than fifty free events await visitors in Sátoraljaújhely and the surrounding area – reported MTI.
János Halász, President of the Association of Towns and Villages, emphasised at the festival’s press conference in March that the Déryné Programme is fulfilling its mission, and an important part of this is holding an annual showcase event where it can demonstrate its strength in one location.
Péter Szamosvölgyi, Mayor of Sátoraljaújhely, pointed out that this is the sixth time Sátoraljaújhely has hosted the festival. As he said, they represent an entire region, as Sátoraljaújhely was once the county town of Zemplén.
More than sixty free events across ten venues
Márk Kis Domonkos, festival director and director of the Déryné Programme, emphasised:
The Déryné Programme is now a cultural mission of Carpathian Basin-wide scope and significance, symbolised by the Déryné Festival.
The event offers a repertoire of theatre and music, with more than sixty free programmes across ten venues. Last year’s festival attracted 9,000 visitors, he added.
He explained that the Déryné Theatre Company will open the festival with Áron Tamási’s *The Deceptive Rainbow* on 15 July in Sátoraljaújhely, at the Kossuth Lajos Cultural Centre. The following day, Ferenc Lengyel’s play *Blaha Lujza and the Red Pants* will be performed in the chamber theatre. The programme will then continue at the Völgyszínház with the absurdist comedy *Can We Go Now, Aunt Edit?*.
The Forrás Folk Dance Ensemble’s production *Útravaló* will be performed on 17 July. The Völgyszínház’s programme will conclude with the Déryné Company’s performance of Carlo Goldoni’s comedy *Chioggiai csetepaté* on 18 July.
Concerts, children’s programmes, travelling theatre
Performing at the Uzhhorod Wine Terrace will be, among others, 4S Street, Dánielfy, The Biebers, the Bohemian Betyars, Balázs Szabó’s Band and the Déryné band. The Zsólyomka Wine Cellars will host a solo evening and a guitar concert.
Széphalom will host the children’s programmes on Friday and Saturday during the festival, with puppet shows, a musical instrument experience, a folk playhouse and craft workshops awaiting visitors – he said.
The travelling theatre caravan, the Theaterwagen, is also setting off: two productions by Mancsi Fabók’s Puppet Theatre will be performed in Hollóháza, Mikóháza, Karcsa and Füzérradvány, he listed.
He also mentioned that KultCamp, which is being held for the fourth time at the Rákóczi Camp in Sátoraljaújhely in collaboration with the Rákóczi Association, will mark the culmination of the KultUp sub-programme, which was established to nurture the talents and provide theatrical education for secondary school pupils.
Hungarian theatre culture beyond borders
Csáky Csongor, president of the Rákóczi Association, said that the Rákóczi Association had found a home above Sátoraljaújhely, in the heart of Zemplén, where they had established a campsite where young Hungarians could meet. Last summer, 20,000 young people from 33 countries visited this place, he added.
He highlighted that they have begun collaborating with the Déryné Programme and are reaching out to secondary school pupils together. As part of the Rákóczi Association’s major summer programme series, hundreds of pupils can come together at the KultCamp camp and have plenty of opportunities to try their hand at performing on stage.
As he said, as part of this collaboration, the Déryné Programme’s nationwide tour will also extend beyond the country’s borders. As a result, in recent months they have been able to bring Hungarian theatre culture to nearly 50,000 Hungarians living abroad, he emphasised.
