Katona József National Theatre debuts Neil Simon comedy in Kecskemét

The Katona József National Theatre in Kecskemét has debuted a new production of Neil Simon’s comedy, ‘The Rumors’ (Pletyka), at the Kelemen László Kamaraszínház. This production is part of the theatre’s 130th anniversary season.

Directed by Sándor Nagy, the play centers on a group of friends gathered at the home of Charley and Julia for a wedding anniversary. When the hosts fail to appear, the guests encounter strange signs and attempt to uncover what happened. Instead of finding clarity, the characters weave increasingly absurd lies to maintain appearances, leading to chaos and complications when the police arrive.

The production, developed with dramaturg Kata Tóth, adapts the classic to a modern setting where characters must rely on a landline phone due to a lack of mobile signal and unknown Wi-Fi passwords at the remote house. This marks Sándor Nagy’s directorial debut at the theatre, having previously performed in the play as an actor elsewhere.