The Katona József Theatre has been considered the most prestigious among all city and state theatres in Hungary since its foundation in 1982. To this day it remains most successful ensemble in the non-independent scene the internationally, with shows travelling around Europe, to the US and Australia, performing to great critical and popular acclaim. The new artistic director, Gábor Máté, brought about a renewal not only in the way the venue was partially re-designed with more open spaces, a bookshop, a strong TIE programme, but also with the kind of shows he often likes to stage, those with a very direct social relevance both in content and form.

This time the topic is emigration, a phenomenon that determines the lives of almost all Hungarian families. For one reason or another – economic or political –over half a million people, over 5% of the population have decided to leave Hungary in the past five years to try their luck abroad.
Gone for Good is mostly based on the actors’ improvisations, the scenes follow each other in a loose dramaturgical structure, some scenes are connected to each other, others are not.

All of the show’s music comes from János Háry, a Hungarian folk opera by Zoltán Kodály, an old Hungarian ”emigration story”, that of a veteran hussar in the Austrian army, who tells fantastic tales of his heroism. A Hungarian Peer Gynt of sorts. He goes to Austria, defeats Napoleon, but finally renounces all riches in order to return and settle down in his hometown with his sweetheart. In this version, they come home only to find a new, ultranationalist Hungary.

Cast: Ferenc Elek, Zoltán Rajkai, Györgyi Fekete, Judit Rezes, Adél Jordán, László Szacsvay, Tamás Keresztes, Péter Takátsy, Eszter Kiss, Bence Tasnádi, Hanna Pálos, Zétény Varga, Réka Pelsőczy, Laura Songoro, Ersan Dávid Helvaci
Set and costume design: Eszter Kálmán
Music: Tamás Keresztes
Choreography: Péter Takátsy
Video: Annamari Kazimir
Dramaturgy: Tamara Török
Assistant director: Judit Gerlóczi
Directed by Gábor Máté