We can see a really special play in Játékszín Theater, Budapest. Chaplin 's City Lights, Szente Vajk director, dreamed up the stage, evoking the atmosphere of black - and - white silent films. Silent film-like music, precisely choreographed movements, black and white visual world. I’ve been waiting for this show because I was very curious about how to take a silent movie to the stage so that it would be enjoyable. The story is short: the wanderer wanders around the big city, meets the blind florist and falls in love. And in the evening, he saves the life of a drunk millionaire who wants to commit suicide. He accepts her as a millionaire’s friend, but there’s a bump to remember him only when he’s drunk. The tramp starts working to help the blind girl who thinks she's rich ...
The stage version of the story of the blind florist and the tramp full of touching but funny scenes really doesn’t contain spoken words. Still, there is no silence in the hall, because throughout the performance there is background music typical of silent films. If you might not understand what’s going on somewhere, the projected text boxes will help. And the scenery and costumes have a black and white look. So the whole play really reminds us of old silent movies. The music acquired by Levente Gulyás reflects the current mood of the piece everywhere. The movements of the characters are super in tune with the music and the happenings. And the actors ’facial play, movement, and music completely replace the emphasis on unspoken words. We can laugh a lot in the many Chaplinesen funny scenes. He who is eye-catching can discover some funny scenes, which indicate the style of the director, Szente Vajk.
It could have been no small task for the actors to get used to playing without words. Not to mention that there are no final words here. So I think they can be informed by the music and the choreography in the piece. With the similarity of Alexander the Great Chaplines, he played the role of the tramp very well. Gyopár Kovács also skillfully solved the reactionless reaction mode typical of blindness. The role of the millionaire seems to have been assigned to Krisztián Kolovratnik and the role of his grandmother seems to have been tailored to Kati Zsurzs. András Csonka, Kata Gáspár and Péter Lajos Túri, who played several characters, switched between the roles. Their facial expressions and play were also very good. Fantastic team work took place on stage and in the background. The quick dresses of the multi-role actors and the multiple rearrangements of the set were perfectly resolved. Down with the hat in front of the whole background staff. This piece really shows how big a role all theater workers play.
Anyone who loves Chaplin movies will have fun here too. I liked this piece and I think the other viewers too because in the end they barely let the actors go off the stage. My favorite scene is hard to pick, but perhaps I liked the millionaire rescue, the whistle, the box pose, and the flea dog scene. I think everyone has shaped and created genius, not to mention the bold idea of the performance.
Actors:
Tramp - Sándor Nagy
Millionaire - Krisztián Kolovratnik
Blind florist - Gyopár Kovács
Grandmother - Kati Zsurzs
Boxer, butler, communal manager, mayor, great man - András Csonka
Checkers, dog, postman, robber policeman, raccoon, colored boxer - Kata Gáspár
Boxing judge, opera singer, doctor, waiter, robber, policeman, rogue, dark figure - Lajos Péter Túri
Creators:
Director - Vajk Szente
Composer - Levente Gulyás
Set designer - Tamás Rákay
Costume Designer - Kovács Yvette Alida
Choreographer - Péter Lajos Túri
Dramaturg - Ildikó Lökös
Fragrance - Zsolt Zólyomi
I recommend it to everyone, as it is not an everyday play.