In the room, which they have chosen as the place of performance, there are not any chairs – there would not be any places for them – everybody sits on the floor, or on folding chairs from the Swedish mall. Or on the packages of newspapers. Who choose these later ones, they come off quiet badly, as Zoli Balázs will do exercises from their chairs.

It is the end of visiting, the troupe has moved into their own place on Mikszáth Square. It is a quiet big flat, which can be walked around, obviously everybody feels themselves more at home. As it is their own. They rent it, but it is totally empty, they do not have to adapt to anybody, they do not have to take care of the things of another company, there are more rooms, and the brought food can be put around in the kitchen of course. There are bakery products, chips, popcorn and things like that. Kamilla Fátyol’s message is waiting for us on the countertop of the kitchen in front of the door: she was here a day before, she is sorry for putting around the things, which we need for the set. She promises that she will have cleared it up by the time we come. If this promise is fulfilled or not, I have no idea about it, anyway, when I arrive, the flat is full, there are many of us, as a party would begin, the only difference is that the staff of Kultúrház is here too.
In the room, which they have chosen as the place of performance, there are not any chairs – there would not be any places for them – everybody sits on the floor, or on folding chairs from the Swedish mall. Or on the packages of newspapers. Who choose these later ones, they come off quiet badly, as Zoli Balázs will do exercises from their chairs.

The third scene of the first act is a lunch, where the menu is the following: “Polish stew, rat-parts, veal, chicken, dog meat, turkey parts, Russian salad, bomb, salad, fruit, dessert, porridge, artichoke and cauliflower in shit”. We have to prepare these from newspapers, and serve them on the actors’ bodies. There are no rules. The fantasy is endless. The newspaper can be cut, torn, stuck, and we can even form the food, but the letters and words can be used too. We can use some kilometres of rope and a package of wooden skewers too. We cannot discuss it with the four actors. They are reading during that time, alone or in pairs, and they bear resignedly from us to take measure of their heads, and sometimes we can put on, stick on them something form paper.
While the “Ubu-geishas” are being made, the ask Zoli, if is there any positive side of this all. He says, that of course, they have used many ideas form the viewers during the rehearsals (as the performance has not been made of course just during the open rehearsals), the one that he appreciates the most is the fact that the actors are open, they do everything more bravely, and it can be seen on their other performances too. He adds, that it has been interesting to see, as the constant members of the open rehearsals have slowly realised, why was it so important to start all from that far, and where we would arrive. (The design of the performance will be newspaper.)
The great things have finished, all groups perform their menu one by one. The four actors are waiting for the others in postures of concentrated exercises to watch the “food” on them, and to find out, what do they mean. There are chicken legs from paper, salad from Cyrillic letters, some small balls marked with Polish flags, cockscomb on actors’ heads... The name of the foods are complicated too; Ubu stew, in shit sauce, the performers have found out these names. After we have discussed all small details, Zoli puts the thing to the vote: which one was the cleverest one. Of course, it is equal!

After a break we play music. The four boys will bring up the famous Cat duet by Koós and Hofi at some point of the performance. (I cannot even imagine now, that when they will do it...) Zsolt Páll and Ádám Tompa are the “orchestra”, Zoli Lendváczky and Ákos Orosz are Hofi and Koós. It goes on quiet well (however the text is differently folded and crumpled in some way – well, too many practices! – they read it from the sheets of papers), the part entitled, Meeting with my old mouse, can cause some problems anyway. There is modulation before it too, it starts with a difficult interval, they have to be together very well. Finally, they do it, Zoli puts on it an exact “smoky sound” too. Like in an old pub.

I will come once more, some days before the premiere. So I will watch a performance, which is almost ready.

Zsófi Rick, Fidelio

(translated by: Veronika Fülöp)