You’re warmly welcomed to the Csokonai National Theatre in Debrecen to enjoy a selection of upcoming plays suited for international audiences—featuring English subtitles or visually captivating performances that transcend language.

Read more below about the upcoming  plays and performances in October.

October 9, 2025, 7.00 p.m. Location: Csokonai Theatre 

Bánk bán – Opera in three acts by Ferenc Erkel – A Hungarian national classic with English subtitles.

About the play:
On October 7, 1865, Debrecen’s first stone theatre opened with a performance of Bánk bán, marking a defining moment in the city’s cultural history—160 years later, this legacy is honored with Ferenc Erkel’s operatic adaptation, brought to life by world-class performers under the direction of Attila Vidnyánszky.

This powerful production explores timeless human emotions—envy, hatred, and jealousy—through a Shakespearean lens, making it deeply moving and universally relatable, even for those unfamiliar with Hungarian history.

More information about the play and the tickets:https://csokonaiszinhaz.hu/en/plays/10464

October 16, 2025, 6.00 p.m. Location: Csokonai Theatre 

About the play:
Set in 1924, this witty and heartfelt play reimagines the Cinderella story. Directed by Pál Göttinger, the story unfolds with humor and emotion, as the fate of “Cinderella” is finally revealed.

More information about the play and the tickets:https://csokonaiszinhaz.hu/en/plays/ferenc-molnar-glass-shoe

October 18, 24,25, 2025, 7.00 p.m. Location: Csokonai Fórum

LÉT(ra) –  A visually captivating co-production by Gradient Contemporary Ballet Debrecen and the drama department of Csokonai National Theatre, blending movement and spoken word into a poetic and thought-provoking performance with English subtitles.

About the play:
The play takes inspiration from two books by Linn Skåber – Til ungdommen (For the Youth) and Til de voksne (For the Adults). The members of Gradient Contemporary Ballet Debrecen and the drama department of Csokonai National Theatre shed light on the process of growing up, using subtle humor and poetic perspective.

More information about the perfomance and the tickets:https://csokonaiszinhaz.hu/en/plays/letra-a-coproduction-of-gradient-coontemporary-ballet-and-the-drama-department

October 26, 7.00 p.m. Location: Csokonai Fórum

“Yellow Rose” –  Performance by the Mares Art Ensemble at the Csokonai Forum.

The performance captures the essence of Hortobágy’s natural beauty and rural traditions with near-ethnographic detail, transforming the novel’s dramatic tale of peasant life into a rich, expressive stage experience.

Read more:csokonaiszinhaz.hu/en/plays/yellow-rose/

October 28, 29, 30, 31

Georges Bizet: Carmen opera in four acts in Hungarian with English Subtitles –Due to illness, the performance on October 28th is cancelled, the performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are not affected.

“Carmen is driven by fate, not choice. Her irresistible charm and fierce independence captivate men and challenge male dominance. But when she surrenders her heart, this brief vulnerability leads to a fatal clash with Don José, as their passionate, adversarial bond spirals into mutual destruction.”

Read more:csokonaiszinhaz.hu/en/plays/georges-bizet-carmen-2

These performances are part of the 2025/26 season and are held at the beautifully renovated Csokonai Theatre and Csokonai Fórum venues.

Date: 9,16, 18, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31October
Location: Csokonai Nartional Theatre, Csokonai Fórum

Source:https://csokonaiszinhaz.hu/en/plays/ | Photo credit:Facebook Debrecen városa