The programme for the 47th Fadil Hadžić Days of Satire festival will feature two productions based on Alfred Jarry’s notorious King Ubu.
The 2023 festival will take place at the Kerempuh Satirical Theater in Zagreb from 6th-21st June 6th, and will showcase some of the best comedies and satires created in theatres in Croatia and the region.
As the festival selector, Željka Udovičić Pleština, explains, this year’s program has been determined by contemporary writers and author projects, thus focusing on contemporary words and expression. “Each of the selected performances tackles the issues of our time and society courageously, with the desire to analyse, raise questions, subject to criticism, and, of course, mock and satirize deviant phenomena. However, each does so differently, utilizing various theatrical means.”
The festival feature 12 drama productions created by institutional and non-institutional theaters from Zagreb, Split, Ljubljana, Sombor, Belgrade, and Subotica. The festival will open with the play Sloboština Barbie by Maša Kolanović, dramatized by Natalija Manojlović and Ivana Vuković, and directed by Natalija Manojlović and produced by the Art Organization Punctum and KunstTeatar.
The main programme shows include two plays based on Alfred Jarry’s infamous text King Ubu – Ibi The Great directed by Andraš Urban and produced by the National Theater Sombor, and King Ubu by GDK Gavella and Kerempuh Satirical Theater, directed by Miran Kurspahić.
My Son Just Walks a Little Slower
The audience will have the opportunity to see the performance Bravo for the Clown by Minja Peković, produced by the National Theater Subotica. The Sarajevo War Theater (SARTR) is bringing the play My Son Just Walks a Little Slower by Ivor Martinić, directed by Ivan Plazibat.
Slovensko Mladinsko Gledališče from Ljubljana is coming to the festival with the comedy about gender roles called ŽBAM! by Simona Semenič, directed by Vito Taufer. Heartefact from Belgrade will perform the play Our Son, a bittersweet authorial project written and directed by Patrik Lazić, about a young gay man’s complicated relationship with his parents..
The play The Little Rascal, based on the book by Tisja Kljaković Braić directed and dramatized by Mario Kovač and produced by the Croatian National Theater Split will also feature as well as So God Help Us inspired by Boris Dežulović’s book Summa Atheologia directed by Hrvoje Korbar and performed by The PlayDrama from Split.
From Croatian productions, the festival will also feature I Am the One I Am Not written by Mate Matišić, directed by Paolo Magelli, and produced by the Zagreb Youth Theatre. There will also be the play Sorry by Bobo Jelčić, produced by the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. Additionally, Borna Vujčić’s satire Who’s Who? The Pension Zone directed by Tamara Damjanović from the City Satirical Theater Kerempuh, will be performed.
The jury members of this year’s festival are actress Jasna Bilušić, director Saša Broz, and theater critic Bojana Radović.
On the stage, there will walk barbies, clowns and kings, petty and less petty criminals, gods and humans, prostitutes and saints, the oppressed and those who have seized power, and others to enlighten the audience through laughter, and perhaps even strike with satire.
For more information, visit: KazalisteKerempuh.hr
Further reading: review of Ibi the Great
Further reading: review of King Ubu
Divna Stojanov is a dramaturg and playwright. She writes mainly for children and young people.
