Musical Play
Based on Ferenc Molnár’s novel of the same name
“The Paul Street Boys is the book closest to my heart. I wrote it in 1906 as a serial for a youth magazine. At that time, I didn’t have a structured writing routine, so I wrote each installment in the afternoons on the balcony of a café on the boulevard. The typesetter personally supervised the process, practically tearing the pages from my hands as they were due. So, it was in this place that I dreamt back to my childhood when I attended the Calvinist Gymnasium on Lónyay Street, and indeed, the ‘grund’ on Paul Street existed. Although the novel is a product of my imagination, its characters were real. They were my schoolmates, two of whom I am still in close friendship with to this day.”
(Ferenc Molnár)
Molnár’s internationally acclaimed novel has inspired numerous stage and film adaptations, all of which have been successful in their own right. The idea for the musical version emerged after the 2005 TV show The Big Book. Péter Geszti approached László Dés and Krisztián Grecsó. Some elements of Sándor Török’s adaptation were also incorporated into the script. The world premiere took place at the Budapest Vígszínház in 2016, directed by László Marton, with contributions from Zsuzsa Radnóti and Csaba Horváth. Notably, Ferenc Molnár was once a resident playwright at this very theater. A highly successful CD was produced from the musical recording. The play continues to be performed to full houses and has been staged by several regional theaters as well.
The power and immediacy of the classic work are enhanced by contemporary language and a modern musical style. The atmosphere, comparable to the excitement of rock concerts and football matches, brings to life concepts and emotions such as camaraderie, betrayal, sacrifice, victory, and defeat.
The story irresistibly sweeps the audience along, driven by pulsating, catchy music, with disciplined, synchronized movements of the determined boys’ team facing off against each other. The stakes are incredibly high, the audience is nearly on the edge of explosion, and for a moment, everyone can take the important things in life as seriously as they did only as children.
Director: Keszég László
