Zoltán Balázs

EDUCATION:
1989 – 1991 Children Dance Theatre - Budapest
1991 – 1995 Horváth Mihály Secondary School/drama faculty – Szentes
1995 – 1998 Actor’s Academy – National Theatre
1998 – 2003 University of Theatre and Film Arts – Budapest/actor and director
DIRECTIONS DURING AT THE UNIVERSITY:
Bertolt Brecht: The Caucaisan Chalk Circle
Sophocles: Antigone
Babits Mihály: The second song
Wooden Animals - a short story based on personal experiences titled
WORKS OF DIRECTION:
1999 – Fernando Pessoa: The Ancient Anxiety - Merlin Theatre
2001 – Eugene Ionesco: Jack, or The Submission - Maladype Theatre
2003 – Michel de Ghelderode: School for Buffons - Maladype Theatre
2004 – Sándor Weöres: Theomachia, Maladype Theatre - Bárka Theatre
2004 – Jean Genet: The Blacks - Maladype Theatre
2004 – Maurice Maeterlinck: Pelléas and Mélisande, Bárka Theatre, Maladype Theatre
2005 – Friedrich Hölderlin: Empedocles - Bárka Theatre - Maladype Theatre
2006 – Babits Mihály: The second song - Krétakör Theatre
2006 – Stanislaw Wyspiański: Acropolis - Maladype Theatre
2007 – Aleksandr Nicolaevich Ostrovsky: The Storm - Bárka Theatre, Maladype Theatre
2007 – Gilbert-Sullivan: The Mikado - University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest
2007 – The Great March: Co-production with Nitra International Festival, Slovakia
2008 – Georg Büchner: Leonce and Lena - Maladype Theatre
2008 – Heinrich Marschner: The Vampire - Opéra de Rennes, France
2009 – Egg(s)Hell: Maladype Theatre – Thália Theatre
2009 – Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Faust I-II. - Budapest Puppet Theatre
2009 – John Webster: The Duchess of Malfi - National Theatre, Budapest
2009 – Alfred Jarry: King Ubu - Maladype Theatre
2010 – Homer – Sándor Márai – Claudio Monteverdi: Return of Ulysses - Csiky Gergely Theatre, Timisoara, Romania
2010 – Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: Platonov - Maladype Theatre
2011 – Arnold Wesker: The Kitchen - Divadlo Andreja Bagara, Nitra, Slovakia
2011 – Alighieri Dante: Inferno - Maladype Theatre, Trafo House of Contemporary Arts
2011 – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - Budapest Puppet Theatre
2012 – Jean Cocteau: Tristan and Isolde - Mini Teater, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2012 – Friedrich Schiller: Don Carlos - Maladype Theatre
2012 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Egmont - Maladype Theatre
2013 – Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov: Master and Margarita - Radu Stanca National Theatre - Maladype Theatre, Sibiu Romania
2013 – William Shakespeare: Macbeth/Anatomy - Maladype Theatre, Trafó House of Contemporary Arts
2014 – Anna and the Barbies - 10th Anniversary Concert - SYMA Hall
2014 – Raymond Queneau: Exercises in Style - Maladype Theatre
2015 – Sándor Weöres – László Sáry: Great Sound in the Rush - Maladype Theatre, Qaartsiluni Ensemble
2016 – Matei Vişniec: How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients - Trap Door Theatre, Chicago, USA
2016 – Matei Vişniec: Dada Cabaret - Maladype Theatre – Átrium Film-Theatre
2017 – Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: Three Sisters - Maladype Theatre
2017 – Eugene Ionesco: The Lesson - University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest
2017 - Mihály Vörösmarty: Csongor and Tünde - Maladype Theatre – Castle Theatre, Gyula
2018 - Bruno Schulz: August - University of Arts, Târgu-Mureş, Romania
2018 - Elżbieta Chowaniec: Gardenia - Odeon Theatre, Bucharest, Romania
2019 - Pier Lorenzo Pisano: For your own good - Odeon Theatre, Bucharest, Romania
2020 - Witold Gombrowicz: Yvonne - Maladype Theatre
2020 - Susan Sontag: Alice in bed - University of Arts, Târgu-Mureş, Romania
2021 - Tankred Dorst: Merlin - Maladype Theatre - Castle Theatre in Kisvárda
2021 - Arthur Kopit - Maury Yeston: Nine - Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre
2021 - Brothers Grimm: Fearseekers - University of Arts, Târgu-Mureş, Romania
2022 - Roy Chen: Someone like me - Maladype Theatre
2022 - Adam Mickiewicz: Forefathers' Eve II. - Jaracza Theatre, Olsztyn, Poland
2022 - Jean de La Fontaine: Fables (Pandorium) - Odeon Theatre, Bucharest, Romania
MAIN ROLES:
2000 – William Shakespeare: Timon of Athens - Servilius, Radnóti Miklós Theatre (d: Sándor Zsótér)
2001 – Sławomir Mrożek: The Hunchback – The Hunchback, Ódry Stage (d: Miklós Benedek)
2001 – Jean Cocteau: Mischievous Kids - Paul, Szigligeti Theatre (d: Tamás Réczei)
2002 – Albert Camus: Caligula - Lepidus, Pastel Theatre (d: Mónika Balatoni)
2002 – Ede Szigligeti: Large Pothole in the Host - Gyuri waiter, Bárka Theatre (d: László Keszég)
2002 – Arthur Miller: View from the Bridge - Rodolphe, Szigligeti Theatre (d: Géza Tordy)
2003 – William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliette - Romeo, Bárka Theatre (d: János Csányi)
2003 - Luigi Pirandello: Six Characters in Search of an Author - Stage whisper, Bárka Theatre (d: Catalina Buzoianu)
2003 – Harold Pinter: Moonlight - Fred, Barka Theatre (d: László Bérczes)
2003 – Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: Three Sisters - Tuzenbach, Bárka Theatre (d: Catalina Buzoianu)
2003 - Harold Pinter: The Homecoming - Joey, Bárka Theatre (d: László Bérczes)
2004 – Friedrich Schiller: Mary Stuart - Robert Dudley, Bárka Theatre (d: Sándor Zsótér)
2005 – William Shakespeare: Hamlet - Hamlet, Bárka Theatre (d: Tim Carroll)
2006 – Kurt Weil - Bertolt Brecht: The Treepenny Opera - Mack the Knife, Bárka Theatre (d: Róbert Alföldi)
2008 – Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: The Seagull – Treplyov, Bárka Theatre (d: János Szász)
2015 – Victor Kravchenko: I Chose Freedom – Victor Kravchenko Maladype Theatre (one-person manifesto performed and directed by Zoltán Balázs)
2016 – William Shakespeare: Richard III - Richard III, Maladype Theatre (d: Sándor Zsótér)
2017 – Jean Genet: The Balcony - Chief of Police / Roger, Maladype Theatre (d: Sándor Zsótér)
WORKSHOPS:
1996 – Joseph Nadj workshop in Avignon
1997 – Anatoly Vasiliev workshop in Avignon
1999 – Robert Wilson's course in Paris
2002 – UTE stage directing course Stuttgart
MOVIE ROLES:
2018 – I Chose Freedom Tour (documentary - biography movie)
2009 – Report (d: Dénes Nagy)
2009 – 1 (d: Pater Sparrow)
2007 – Who broke this kid (d: Róbert Alföldi)
AWARDS:
2022 - Honthy Hanna Award
2019 - Best Performance (Gardenia) - Elvira Godeanu Theatre Festival, Tárgu Jiu, Romania
2018 - Best Director (Gardenia) - International Theatre Festival, Oradea, Romania
2018 - Hevesi Sándor Award
2017 - Best Director (How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients)
- ATELIER International Theatre Festival, Baia Mare, Romania
2014 – Best Performance (King Ubu) - FIAT International Theatre Festival, Podgorica, Montenegro
2009 – Grand Prize (Egg(s)Hell) - INFANT International Theatre Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia
2009 – Nádasdy Kálmán Award
2008 – Jászai Mari Award
2008 – Őze Lajos Award (Best performance for Hamlet and Mack the Knife)
2006 – Gábor Miklós Award (for Hamlet)
2005 – Súgó Csiga Award (for Hamlet)
2005 – ARARAT Award (for Hamlet)
2005 – Knight's Cross of the Hungarian State
2003 – Critic's Award, Best Alternative Performance (School for Buffons)
2003 – Best Alternative Company (Cultural Commettee of Budapest General Assembly)
2002 – Üstökös (Comet) Award
2001 – Best Actor- Paris (Baudelaire: The Flowers of Evil)
He graduated as an actor and director from the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest. He participated in several foreign workshops such as in Anatoly Vasiliev’s and Josef Nadj’s workshop in Avignon. He studied from Robert Wilson in Paris and he also graduated from the European Theatre Union’s directorial course in Stuttgart. In 2001 he founded one of the most important independent theatre, Maladype Theatre, and since he has been the artistic director in Budapest, Hungary. Through his performances he aims to give the audience a theatrical experience which is complex, appeals to emotions and senses and raises the scenery, motion and music to the same level as the lyrics.
His main works: School Fools by Michel de Ghelderode; The Blacks by Jean Genet; Empedocles by Friedrich Hölderlin; Pelléas and Mélisande by Maurice Maeterlinck; Leonce and Lena by Georg Büchner; The Vampire by Heinrich Marschner; Faust I-II. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; King Ubu by Alfred Jarry; Platonov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov; The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker; Inferno by Dante Alighieri; Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Don Carlos by Friedrich Schiller; Master and Margarita by Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov and Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
The aim of Zoltán Balázs’s method - uniquely developed for training actors - is to develop the techniques for moving, dialogue and enhance the sense of body through self-examination. He focuses on the actors’ intensive common work and continuous communication with the audience. Therefore the importance to improve the actors’ analytical and synthesizing skills; the everyday tone of their speech; and the constant condition of the improvisation based play that gives immediate and spirited reaction to the audience is inevitable.