Gyula launches a full-throttle cultural year across the Ferenc Erkel Cultural Center and the Gyula Castle Theatre’s (Gyulai Várszínház) chamber hall and outdoor stages. Summer brings nearly two months of open-air, cross-genre programming designed to engage every age and taste with high-quality theater, music, dance, and literary events—plus plenty of smart fun under the stars. Venue address: 5700 Gyula, Béke Blvd. 35.
Highlights and Key Dates
May 19 sparks early interest with Mandala Music Theatre’s (Mandala Dalszínház) Hyppolit, a lakáj (Hippolyt, the Butler), a musical-comedy staple that returns later in the summer in a fresh staging. On June 11, Liliom Produkció presents Meztelen igazság (Naked Truth), a musical comedy, followed on June 12 by Platón: Szókratész védőbeszéde (Plato: The Apology of Socrates), a one-act concert-theater piece. June 28 pivots to folk with József Szigetvári’s Mestermunka, a folk-dance theater production.
July: Comedy, Classics, and Dance
July opens with Katalin Thuróczy’s Argentin tangó (July 3), then A feleség negyvennél kezdődik (Wife Begins at Forty) on July 4. Shakespeare lands on July 11 with Sok hűhó semmiért (Much Ado About Nothing) by the Hungarian Chamber Theatre of Zenta (Zentai Magyar Kamaraszínház), followed July 12 by Piaf–marche / Piaf–menet (Hommage à Édith Piaf) from the same troupe. July 16 revives the beloved Eisemann–Zágon–Nóti Hyppolyt, a lakáj, now by the Bartók Chamber Theatre of Dunaújváros.
Fresh Writing and Big Musicals
Poet-playwright János Lackfi serves up Méricskélők, a staged reading, on July 17. Veres 1 Theatre (Veres 1 Színház) brings Csoportterápia, a two-part “mjuzikelkámedi,” on July 18, and returns July 19 with Szép nyári nap (A Beautiful Summer Day), the Neoton two-part musical by Böhm–Korcsmáros–Pásztor–Jakab–Hatvani. July 21 delivers the perennial favorite A Pál utcai fiúk (The Paul Street Boys) by Dés–Geszti–Grecsó–Molnár, staged by Pannon Castle Theatre (Pannon Várszínház).
Premieres and Family Fare
July 22 marks a Gyula Castle Theatre world premiere: Attila Bódi’s Ikrek – kettő (Twins – Two). On July 23, families get Szaffi, a musical play co-produced with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Drama Theatre. Political bite arrives July 27 with Csaba Székely’s Egy diktátor születése (The Birth of a Dictator) by Yorick Studio, and July 28 with János Székely’s Caligula helytartója (Caligula’s Deputy), a one-act drama from Forrás Theatre (Forrás Színház) and the Mikháza Barn Theatre.
August: International Voices, From Operetta to Jazz-Opera
Dürrenmatt’s Angyal szállt le Babilonba (An Angel Came to Babylon) arrives July 29 via the Tamási Áron Theatre of Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy). July 30 cues Jenő Huszka’s operetta Lili Bárónő (Lili the Baroness) by Operettissimo from Cluj. July 31 brings Radu Afrim’s dramedy Ház a blokkok között (A House Among the Blocks) from the National Theatre of Târgu Mureș (Marosvásárhely). August 1 spotlights Alina Nelega’s Améli sóhaja (Améli’s Sigh), a solo by Boróka Bartha, followed August 2 by Feydeau’s farce Bolha a fülbe (A Flea in Her Ear) from Oradea’s Szigligeti Theatre. August 3 hosts Egy életem: Csuja Imre (One Life: Imre Csuja).
Literature on Stage and Big Crowd-Pleasers
Zsigmond Móricz’s Barbárok (Barbarians) arrives August 4 via Fonó Budai Zeneház. August 5 turns to Katalin Vajda’s Anconai szerelmesek (Lovers of Ancona), a musical comedy by Erkel Theatre (Erkel Színház). August 8 unveils László Németh’s Iszony (Revulsion), a co-premiere with the Harag György Company of Satu Mare. Families circle back August 9 for Katalin Thuróczy and Tamás Arany’s Keszekusza varázspálcája (The Topsy-Turvy Magic Wand), an eco-musical from Múzsák Társulat.
Chekhov, The Sound of Music, and Dance Theater
Chekhov’s Leánykérések (Proposals) bows August 10 in a joint production by the Jókai Theatre of Békéscsaba, Arad Chamber Theatre, and Teatrul Carusel. August 11 belts out A muzsika hangja (The Sound of Music) via Szolnok’s Szigligeti Theatre. August 12 brings Az Öltöny (The Suit), a jazz-opera from Can Themba–Barney Simon–Mothobi Mutloatse–Adrián Kovács, co-produced by METTRIN and Maladype. August 13 reframes Kafka with Az átváltozás (The Metamorphosis) from Szeged’s Pinceszínház, and August 14 reimagines Cseresznyéskert (The Cherry Orchard) as dance theater by the Feledi Project.
Grand Finales
August 15 stages Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac with the Szolnok company, August 16 offers Chekhov’s Ványa bácsi (Uncle Vanya) scenes via Budaörs’s Latinovits Theatre, and August 18 closes strong with László Krasznahorkai’s Sátántangó as dance theater, co-produced by the Gyula Castle Theatre and Noémi Kulcsár’s Tellabor.
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
