Shakespeare, national memory, and tourist place: Gyula's Várszínház Festival

Abstract

This article examines the relationships between tourism, national identity, and Shakespearean performance at the Várszinház Festival in Gyula, Hungary. By hosting highly experimental Shakespearean productions, the Festival runs counter to the ethos of the town's other leisure activities. This article examines how a 2013 production of Hamlet and a 2016 production of Richard III, both staged in the courtyard of the medieval castle, exemplify the ways that Shakespeare can be made to play with and against this richly meaningful performance site. I will conclude by suggesting ways to think about such performance in relation Gyula's identity as a tourist place.