Hungarian Theatre of Cluj
Hungarian-language repertory company founded in 1792, in a Secession-style theatre of 1910.
The Hungarian Theatre of Cluj traces its origins to 1792, when the first professional Hungarian-language company in Transylvania was formed in the city then known as Kolozsvar. The company has performed continuously since, apart from wartime interruptions, and is today subsidised by the Romanian Ministry of Culture. It plays a repertoire of classical and contemporary drama in Hungarian, with surtitles in Romanian and English for many productions, and has been directed since 1990 by Gabor Tompa.
Its home on Strada Emil Isac was built in 1909 and 1910 to designs by the Budapest architects Geza Markus and Frigyes Spiegel, on the site of an earlier summer theatre of 1821. The Secession-style building was remodelled between 1959 and 1961, which added socialist realist elements to the exterior. The main auditorium seats around 860, and a studio space hosts smaller work. The Hungarian Opera of Cluj shares the building. The company tours widely and is a member of the Union of the Theatres of Europe.
Highlights
- First Hungarian-language theatre company in Transylvania, from 1792
- Secession building of 1910 by Markus and Spiegel
- Main auditorium seating about 860, plus a studio stage
- Surtitles in Romanian and English for many productions
