If someone wanted to put on stage Chekov’s first play, which he wrote at the age of nineteen, was thought to be lost for a long time, the all of it, it would last for almost ten hours. So far, nobody has been so courageous, but if Balázs Kovalik could do the Mozart marathon, he performed three Mozart’s operas on the same day, one after another, and then Zoltán Balázs with the Maladype Theatre would be able to do a Platonov marathon too.

This short three and half an hour, which they have performed from it, during the Autumn Festival of Budapest, in the Arizona Studio of Thália Theatre, is very promising. They can show the multiple lines of the play, its enjoyable polyphony, its wildness. It is not beautiful, it is rounded, we can see a suffering crying sad Chekov. From many points of view it is unpredictable. Which is supported by the huge billiard table, which Bea Molnár has designed into the middle of the stage, around which, we are sitting. Platonov takes the risk, he follows his momentary mood and instincts too, he is pushing the balls all through the performance. His surrounding gambles too with their life, and with billiard too in this case. The actors, who have practiced in performances, which have been built on improvisations as much as Leonce and Lena, where they could perform a scene in four different versions, can react with their good improvisational skills the fact, as they can push with the cue, and they can connect the texts to the unexpected situations. The figure, for example, who wants to perform confidently, jumps when he pushes totally out, while he is going on with his elevated sentences. The ball, which gets its aim before the obvious collapse, can be a temporary moment, which can give power. The play get the excitement of a competition, the billiard strengthens its unpredictability, but we obviously know that the people, who Chekov formed, do not go on towards the reaching of their goal.

In Hungary the most legendary Platonov performance was in the József Katona Theatre, Tamás Ascher put it on stage, and Géza Balkay performed the main character. He was himself that attractive-repulsive self-destructive one, that charismatic man, who was dangerous for himself and his surrounding too. He was the man, who remained under his abilities, the one, who he performed. But in this role, which we can tell, he performed to life-and-death, or more accurately, he lived it over, has already been over its own form. Ákos Orosz is more playful than he was. He watched the role from outside a little bit. If we like, he gambles with it. He uses market-like elements, wide movements of arms, strong mimic, he can change moods during a sudden moment, he plays tricks not only with his surrounding, but with us, with the viewers too. When he realises, what he has probably thought from the beginning, that the play is for nothing, he tries to be naughty even in the most tragic moments too, as Mercutio and Romeo do it in the Romeo and Juliette.

However, there is obviously much work in this performance, from the performing style comes that the performance is not balanced, however it is very inspiringly exciting in overall. There are too long situations, boring parts of scenes, there are some sleepy moments. Then to become exciting again, the actors get power again, and to come up with moments, which can surprise their partners or even themselves too. Judit Kovács Ligeti, Zoltán Lendváczky, Kamilla Fátyol, Ádám Tompa, Vica Kerekes, Zsolt Páll, Zénó Faragó, Erika Tankó are not performers of series, who works with routine. Besides their theatrical possibilities, they are searching for their own possibilities too. They try the unexpected one. It can usually make Zoltán Balázs’ performances interesting. Fantasy is matched with creative mood. Probably the performance of Platonov will get together better, it will get matured, as the good wine does it...

Gábor Bóta, Népszava, 2010

(translated by: Veronika Fülöp)