Hívjuk és várjuk—that’s the spirit at Debrecen’s VOKE Egyetértés Cultural Center (VOKE Egyetértés Művelődési Központ), one of the region’s oldest and most defining cultural venues. In 2026, the Railway Workers’ Cultural Center (Vasutas Cultural Center) at 67 Faraktár Street throws open its doors to a broad slate of exhibitions, concerts, theater productions, and neighborhood staples. The programming is wide-ranging in taste and high in quality, with a full calendar already lighting up winter nights.
“Meztelen igazság” (Naked Truth): Music, Laughter, Liberation
Wednesday, January 14, 7:00 PM
This sparkling musical comedy follows six women from wildly different backgrounds who sign up for the same pole-dance class to boost their confidence—only to discover they’re there for much more than sexy moves. Friendships form, secrets spill, and self-acceptance blossoms as the women learn to love their bodies. A bold idea pushes them to drop their inhibitions… and their clothes, for charity.
On stage: Barbinek Paula (Trisha), Kokas Piroska (Bev), Deutsch Anita (Faith), Nyertes Zsuzsa (Sarah), Sári Évi (Rita), Fekete Linda (Gabby). Directed by Tallós Rita. Written by Dave Simpson; Hungarian translation and dramaturgy by Barbinek Paula. Sets and costumes by Gordos Éva; rehearsal pianist Fehér Adrienn; choreography by Tallós Andrea; sound by Csomor György; lighting by Váradi András “Szőke.” Expect international hits in fresh arrangements, with lyrics by Csik Csaba and Cseh Dávid Péter. Pole instruction by Tóth Bernadett/Pole Heaven Rúdtánc Stúdió. Assistant director: Kiss Kriszta.
Mink, Mistresses, and Mayhem
Friday, January 16, 7:00 PM
A two-act comedy where mink coats, lovers, and scantily clad women spark a chain reaction of farcical chaos. Whether the mink symbolizes male obsession or female frivolity, one thing’s sure: where there’s a mink, there’s trouble—usually the same kind. John Chapman and Ray Cooney push their characters through an escalating tangle of who’s-with-whom, as the small fur salon’s smooth-talking owners battle an avalanche of impossible situations. Adulterous spouses drop in at tighter and tighter intervals, garments fly on and off, and from the fourth-floor salon window, outfits and objects literally take flight. The story nails how testosterone scrambles the brain—though the women aren’t exactly overthinking it either.
Cast: Nagy Sándor (Gilbert Bodley), Csonka András (Arnold Crouch), Molnár Szilvia (Sue Lawson; also costume design), Steinkohl Erika/Zorgel Enikő (Miss Tipdale), Fésűs Nelly (Janie McMichael), Pál Tamás (Harry McMichael), Csányi Erika (Mrs. Frencham), Venyige Sándor (Captain Frencham), Molnár Gyöngyi (Maude Bodley), Janik László (Mr. Lawson), Kiss Csinszka Flóra (Miss Whittington). Set design by Varsányi Anna. Directed by Venyige Sándor. Running time: 110 minutes.
Zerkovitz–Topolcsányi: Orfeum hercegnő (Princess of the Orpheum)
Saturday, January 17, 6:00 PM
National Premiere III. A two-part operetta-comedy bursting with fizzy humor, Pest-style romance, and evergreen melodies. What happens when a legendary Budapest prima donna who left the spotlight returns—and flips the capital upside down? Alfonza, once adored and now tucked away on a quiet country estate, is swept back into the sparkling swirl of the city night. She conquers hearts, muddles entanglements, and sparks a charming young romance. And just when it peaks, Béla Zerkovitz himself appears—in song, wit, and genius.
Classic Zerkovitz hits resound in fresh, live arrangements: Éjjel az omnibusz tetején, Mi muzsikus lelkek, mi bohém fiúk, Asszonykám, adj egy kis kimenőt, Los Angeles (A csókos Pest), Kár itt minden dumáért, and more surprises.
Starring: Nagy Ibolya (Déryné Award-winning operetta prima donna, founding host of Dankó Rádió) and Csengeri Attila (eMeRTon Award winner, title role in The Phantom of the Opera). Triple casting features Pacskó Dorka (Madách Theatre), Unger Vanda, and Békány Csenge (opera/operetta soubrette). With dancer-comedian Kovács Szilárd (guest artist at the Budapest Operetta Theatre and Madách Theatre). Story by Topolcsányi Laura; music by Béla Zerkovitz. From Mosoly Muzsika Produkció, whose mission is to carry on the operetta tradition launched by Lehár, Kálmán, and Zerkovitz. Slogan: Princess of the Orpheum (Orfeum hercegnő)—the new star of the Budapest night.
Akt hegedűvel (Nude with Violin)
Friday, January 30, 7:00 PM
A towering painter dies, his canvases coveted by every major museum, collectors desperate to own them. Critics rave, and the American art world buzzes when his late-period masterpiece, “Nude with Violin” (Akt hegedűvel), turns up in the estate. The family arrives for the funeral and realizes there is no will. But the longtime valet holds a letter… Visitors multiply, sealed bank documents appear, and the past grows murkier—or perhaps perfectly clear. Two acts, 120 minutes.
Michael Cooney: Nicsak, ki lakik itt?! (Who’s There?)
Sunday, February 8, 7:00 PM
A madcap two-act farce from Bánfalvy Stúdió (revived in 2025), translated and with dramaturgy by Benedek Albert; adaptation by Benedek Albert, Oliver W. Horvath, HCS; directed by Horváth Csaba; producers HCS and Oliver W. Horvath.
In London, a Hungarian man has had enough of free money. Róbert Szűcs has it all: unemployment benefits, old-age pension, sick pay, family allowance, disability payments, and of course free cow’s milk—not to mention a side hustle in nursing bras, which drives his wife to jealousy. Afraid of getting caught, he decides he’d rather ditch his illegal payouts than lose his wife or his freedom. But shedding benefits is way harder than it looks.
Cast: Varga Iza/Kondákor Zsófia (Linda Szűcs-Swan), Hujber Ferenc (Róbert Szűcs), Harmath Imre/Gombás Ádám (Pawel Duda), Gombás Ádám/Kiss Zoli (Mr. George Jenkins), Ganxsta Zolee (Gyurka), Bugár Anna/Kondákor Zsófia (Sally Chessington), Sándor Péter/Hajdu Levente (Dr. Chapman), Imre István/Csányi Dávid (Mr. Fortbright), György Orsolya (Miss Cowper), Stelczer Timi (Magdalena Szmrczyk).
Rock Ballads by Candlelight
Friday, February 13, 7:00 PM
Experience the biggest anthems by string quartet in the glow of hundreds of candles. Queen, Metallica, Nirvana, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, and more are reimagined with new emotional depth. The candlelit ambience is intimate and unforgettable. Not recommended for children under 6.
Időutazás (Time Travel): Erika Náray and Róbert Alföldi
Friday, February 20, 7:00 PM
A musical, visual, and storytelling journey through the history of the Academy Awards. In 1929, 15 statues—unnamed, made of clay—were handed out without media present, and winners were told in advance. Since 1931 the statuette has had a name, Oscar; TV has broadcast it since 1953, in color since 1966. Who remembers the beginnings or the hundreds of honorees? Ninety years of cinema revisited in songs, stories, and images.
Három a magyar vigasság! (Thrice the Hungarian Revelry!)
Sunday, February 22, 4:00 PM
A two-part musical cabaret drawing from the golden age of Hungarian musical theater and the great Pest cabaret tradition. Three beloved comics—Nyertes Zsuzsa (former leading comedian of the Vidám Színpad), and the Mikroszkóp Színpad icons Heller Tamás and Beregi Péter, both Artists of Merit—serve up evergreen chansons, classic couplets, special solo bits, and popular parodies. Ambassadors of mirth, tireless and ageless, they bring joy on both sides of the border.
