- a Criminal Dance Drama -

Length: 90 minutes without an interval

A detective story: the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble's large-scale premiere of The Faithless Wife casts light on the hidden aspects of the original ballad. This full-evening "crime story" of a dance drama takes as its starting point Barcsai's Lover, one of the most estimable of Hungary's balladic treasures. After cuckolding her husband, a wife awaits a terrible punishment. But how did things actually get to this point? Zoltán Zsuráfszky and Zsuzsa Zs. Vincze's production ponders the causes, while also bringing to the stage such eternal themes as fidelity, love and revenge.

The performance includes two choral works by Zoltán Kodály.

The wife: Júlia Paput
The husband: Attila Tókos
Barcsai, the lover: Dávid Barka
Village folk: Dancers of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble (artistic director: Zoltán Zsuráfszky)
Soldiers, shepherds, judges: Hungarian National Male Choir (choirmaster: Richárd Riederauer)

Creators:
Music: Benjamin Eredics
Folk music curator: István Gázsa Papp, Sándor D. Tóth
Set design: Kázmér Tóth
Lighting: Dániel Kósa, István Niederkirchner
Animation: Szilvia Fabók, Boáz Konta
Libretto, dramaturg, costumes, associate director: Zsuzsa Zs. Vince
Choreographer, director: Zoltán Zsuráfszky

Photo: Csudai Sándor

The premiere was presented by Müpa Budapest as a joint event with the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble as part of the Bartók Spring.

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The 19th Pécsi International Dance Festival is the co-production of Ballet Pécs and the National Theatre of Pécs.

The Pécs International Dance Festival has been supported by the National Cultural Fund and the Ministry of Innovation and Culture.