TESZT16 Has Come to an End, Opening New Lines of Dialogue

Eight days, 36 performances, artists from 15 countries, 20 venues, and thousands of spectators — this was the 16th edition of the Euroregional Theatre Festival TESZT, organized by the Csiky Gergely Hungarian State Theatre in Timișoara.

Held between May 23 and 30, the festival transformed Timișoara into a vibrant meeting space for artists, audiences, and ideas under the theme Frontlines, an invitation to reflect on the tensions shaping the contemporary world: from conflict and polarization to identity, memory, and freedom. “TESZT16 is proof for us that a theatre can speak to an entire city, stepping beyond its own limits and connecting different communities. The festival did not remain within a single building; it was present in theatre halls, industrial spaces, neighborhoods, and public squares,” said Horváth Hunor. TESZT16 continued to expand theatre beyond conventional spaces. This year, venues such as the former Textile Factory and the Unirea Cinema were reactivated, while public spaces were also used as stages for local and international artists. Street performances and programs dedicated to children and families brought theatre closer to the community, attracting a diverse audience, including spectators who do not usually attend theatre performances.

The edition opened with the premiere of Macbeth by the Csiky Gergely Hungarian State Theatre, produced in collaboration with director Stefano Tè from Teatro dei Venti, with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute. During the festival, two one-man shows performed by actors of the Hungarian Theatre were also presented: Tear, performed by Lajter Márkó Ernesztó, and Everything Will Fall Into Place, performed by Rita Lőrincz. These productions complemented the host theatre’s repertoire alongside The Tót Family, directed by Horváth Hunor, an emblematic production of the theatre.

The festival also brought together performances from around the world, which, despite differing cultural contexts, explored the same themes: war, exclusion, the body, relationships, loneliness, and social pressure. Audiences were invited to engage with these themes through a variety of artistic forms, ranging from contemporary reinterpretations of classical texts to dance, performance art, and documentary theatre. As has become tradition throughout its 16 editions, a central element of the festival was the direct encounter between artists and audiences. Post-performance discussions created space for questions, reflection, and exchange of ideas.

Throughout the festival, TESZT functioned as a true “city within a city,” complete with its own blog and podcast, created by actors of the Hungarian Theatre and students from theatre universities. They documented the festival experience daily, transforming it into a space for collective reflection. At the same time, the FemminiCity project, which evolved into a festival in its own right during TESZT, integrated feminist perspectives and themes related to representation and rights, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of contemporary realities.

TESZT is a festival organized by the Csiky Gergely Hungarian State Theatre, funded by the Timișoara Local Council. Partners and supporters include the Italian Cultural Institute, the Polish Institute Bucharest, the County Directorate for Culture, the Project Center, the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre, the German State Theatre Timișoara, the Romanian National Opera Timișoara, Merlin Theatre, the National Museum of Art Timișoara, the West University of Timișoara, Visit Timișoara, Aquatim, and Faber.

With the festival now concluded, the theatre season is also approaching its end and will close with the premiere of Festen, directed by Eugen Jebeleanu, which will take place on July 3rd, 2026. Inspired by the screenplay of the film written by Thomas Vinterberg, the production begins with a family reunion that gradually turns into a confrontation with the truth. During dinner, a toast by the eldest son shatters the celebratory atmosphere and reveals a pattern of abuse and silence that seems to run through the entire family. From that moment on, the domestic space becomes a battleground between memory and denial, between truth and the social mechanisms of repression.

The performance transforms the anniversary dinner table into an ambiguous theatrical space in which guests become both participants and witnesses. Festen offers a close examination of how communities — whether familial, social, or institutional — protect their own secrets, while the celebration becomes the context in which collective complicity is exposed and the truth can no longer be avoided.

All performances at the Hungarian Theatre benefit from Romanian and English surtitles.