The future caricature of the king is in the safety and captivity of a pile of newspapers, between news and fake news. Meanwhile Alfred Jarry’s play originally started as a trick about the annoying physics teacher.

But if we study the far and near history, we can call it ironic report, but even the documentary of real and unreal political actions too. According to all these Ubu is a really suitable ruler. He is cruel, demagogue, wants more, and knows quite well, that what is his aim. So, it can be a bloody drama too, but as he is a reprobate giant, during his fight for the great aim, he shows himself very silly, in reality all of it is a horrible great joke, which points over himself as the history has confirmed it.

The coup attempt happens on the Mikszáth Square, in the back room of the flat on the first floor, it is surrounded by words, connected by strings to the wall. Ákos Orosz, as Ubu can be hardly seen from the remaining newspapers of today, which are piled up as it is designed by Kamilla Fátyol, but he becomes a centre anyway. As the sun circle of a ruined universe he is sprawls half naked. It sometimes seems to be that gun would be given to a child’s hand, but then he steps out as the cold-blooded fulfiller of plans, which are found out cruelly. His only tool, which can be seen from the newspapers, is his face, but it is enough for him. He is on the point of source from the first moment, while his partners are doing a fantastic work, however they do not have any other things, just some torn pieces of papers, glue, string and scissors. And their creativity, the harmony and their overwhelming suitability. Zsolt Páll once is a convincing, huge little prince in a silly way, then he is the only one, who stands up against the usurper, but he is the whole society and the all the victims of the coup attempt too. Ádám Tompa as Captain Bordure is the traitor, then he is the disgraced pliancy, but he changes easily to any other eight roles, which have been given to him, with the help of a paper moustache, hat or a dental protector, which makes him lisping. Zoltán Lendváczky besides all these can take his obvious dancer-movement theatrical abilities as Mama Ubu, who is priggish and controls from the background, than as a wild bear, who is waiting for his victims. Papa Ubu can get to the throne of the imagined Poland on their backs with his cruel tools. The grotesque tale is about the story, who a coward, greedy anybody can become somebody, of whom everybody afraid.

Zoltán Balázs’ staging is a play, which always keeps in condition the actors’ brains, sometimes it is creative improvisation, other times with punctually made choreography. The result becomes really valuable, but not always followable or entertaining, that they accept joke totally jokes, while the story is slowly formed about a changing of reign and about the “acceptable” loss, which comes with it. Other merit of the Maladype is their team work, from which the personal performances can shine, the love of play, and that in the end the real theatre can be born. It seems to be easy, as a fake-Polish coup, however it is similarly difficult. It is pearl, which can be shiner somewhere, between the pigs.

Krisztina Szepesi, Pesti Műsor, 2010

(translated by: Veronika Fülöp)